WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump confirmed his intention to proceed with mass federal worker layoffs while increasing pressure on Democrats to resolve the government shutdown.
The Republican president declared he would meet budget chief Russell Vought to identify which Democratic agencies to cut and determine whether those reductions would be temporary or permanent.
Trump announced this decision on his Truth Social platform as the government entered its second shutdown day affecting 750,000 employees across multiple agencies.
Vought informed House Republicans that many workers would face permanent layoffs within days, reinforcing spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt’s warning about imminent firings.
Leavitt confirmed to reporters that the job cuts would likely number in the thousands.
Trump emphasized that he views these cutbacks as a method to increase pressure on Democrats through actions they cannot reverse.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the layoff threats as intimidation tactics that would not withstand legal challenges.
Two Senate Democrats and one independent have broken with their party colleagues while the remainder continue opposing the House-passed funding resolution.
Jeffries described the situation as day two of Trump’s shutdown but day 256 of chaos unleashed by his presidency during a Capitol news conference.
The House minority leader accused Republicans of shutting down the government to avoid providing healthcare to working-class Americans.
Jeffries stated Democrats remain ready to meet with anyone including Trump and Vice President JD Vance to find a resolution.
The Senate cancelled Thursday voting for Yom Kippur but planned Friday sessions and daily votes until resolving the standoff.
Republicans reportedly considered sending senators home after Friday’s vote which would guarantee the shutdown continues into next week.
House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted Senate leaders must follow through with weekend work sessions while House members return next week.
Democrats maintain their position demanding healthcare subsidy extensions before agreeing to any funding deal.
The Senate requires five additional Democratic votes to reach the sixty-vote threshold for passing the House bill.
Recent polling shows Americans divided on shutdown responsibility with 47% blaming Trump and Republicans while 30% fault Democrats.
A separate survey indicated two-thirds of respondents believe Democrats should not shut down the government over Republican opposition.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the ongoing shutdown could negatively impact US economic growth during a CNBC interview. – AFP