The White House announced on Wednesday that it is likely to lay off at least 10,000 federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown, amid increased pressure from President Donald Trump on Democrats.
The shutdown has now entered its third week, as Congress struggles to resolve budget disputes, while Trump follows through on his threats to target the workforce in response.
Ross Voet, head of the Office of Management and Budget, stated during an interview with Charlie Kirk’s program when asked about the expected layoffs, “I think we’ll eventually end up with more than 10,000.”
Voet added, “We want to be very aggressive in eliminating bureaucracy wherever we can.”
Court documents from the Department of Justice revealed that over 4,000 employees were let go on Friday, with the departments of Treasury, Health, Education, and Housing facing the most significant impacts.
Voet clarified that this is just a “broad overview,” indicating that more layoffs will follow.
Trump warned that the continued refusal of Democrats to support a House-approved measure for funding the government through late November could lead to mass layoffs affecting employees perceived to be aligned with the opposition party.
The U.S. president pledged to find a way to ensure that soldiers, who will face paycheck delays for the first time, will still receive their salaries, while the crisis has resulted in long lines of military personnel seeking assistance at food banks.