Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said that Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has been preparing for government shutdown scenarios "since puberty" and that Democrats are in store for their "worst nightmare."

Lee posted on X Wednesday night, hours after Vought told Republicans that the Trump administration will start firing federal employees in the next "one to two" days.

"OMB Director @russvought has been dreaming about — and meticulously preparing for — the Schumer Shutdown since puberty. This is going to empower [President Donald] Trump — and the American people. This is going to be the Democrats' worst nightmare," Lee wrote.

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."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Thursday that Vought takes no pleasure in the authority handed him by Democrats to cut the federal workforce.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that the layoffs would "likely" number in the thousands.

Last week, Vought 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."

At issue for Democrats is that by shutting down the government, the Trump administration has the power to reclassify essential vs. nonessential personnel, allowing them to "rightsize" the government, Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, told Newsmax on Wednesday.

Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., allowed a government shutdown Tuesday after rejecting a short-term, clean continuing resolution offered by House Republicans last week.

By voting against the CR, Democrats are seeking to leverage the GOP into reversing $1.5 trillion in cuts and reforms made by congressional Republicans and Trump in the so-called one big beautiful bill passed and signed in July. Those provisions included restrictions on emergency Medicaid coverage for illegals.

• Trump: Will Discuss Cuts to 'Scam' Agencies With OMB Director Vought
• Axios: Breaking the Shutdown May Hinge on 7 Dem Senators