OMB's Vought: Federal Layoffs Coming in '1 to 2 Days'

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

By    |   Wednesday, 01 October 2025 04:51 PM EDT ET

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told Republicans on Wednesday that the Trump administration will start firing federal employees in the next "one to two" days, multiple media outlets reported.

Vought's comments to House Republicans came shortly after the Senate, for the second time in 24 hours, voted down a stopgap funding measure. At least 60 votes are needed to advance any funding bill in the Senate, meaning Republicans would need at least eight Democrats to join the majority, given that Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has voted against the measure both times.

Vought told lawmakers he will spend the next week determining "constitutionally" what the administration can do to shrink the federal workforce, Axios reported, citing a source on the call. He also said the layoffs would be "consequential."

Last week, the OMB director issued a memo threatening mass layoffs if a shutdown was triggered. He instructed agencies to send "reduction in force notices for all employees" in programs "not consistent with the president's priorities."

On Wednesday, Vought also announced that $18 billion in federal funds for New York City infrastructure projects will be frozen, along with $8 billion in what President Donald Trump called "green new scam funding" in a dozen blue states, according to Axios.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters Wednesday in the White House briefing room that layoffs would begin soon unless the government reopens. The briefing aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform.

"We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues," Vance said. "We don't like that. We don't necessarily want to do it, but we're going to do what we have to to keep the American people's essential services continuing to run."

Vance dismissed suggestions that layoffs would target Democratic-aligned workers.

"We're not targeting federal agencies based on politics," he said. "We're targeting the people's government so that it as much as possible of the essential services can continue to function. That is the question the president has asked. The entire government is fundamentally OK."

Vought's memo did not say how many employees could lose their jobs. NBC News reported that during a call with House Republicans, Vought warned that the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program will run out of money by next week if the government does not reopen. The National WIC Association confirmed that timeline, saying funding could dry up in a week or two.

Other topics raised on the call included military pay, which will be paused along with other federal workers' salaries during the shutdown, and national parks, which will remain partially open, according to NBC News.

Michael Katz

Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.

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Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told Republicans on Wednesday that the Trump administration will start firing federal employees in the next "one to two" days, multiple media outlets reported.
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Wednesday, 01 October 2025 04:51 PM
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