Trump administration orders federal agencies to prepare staff reduction plans and layoffs.

The White House has ordered federal agencies to brace for mass firings and deep staff cuts if Washington fails to avert a government shutdown next week, according to a confidential memo obtained by Politico.

CBI News reports that the memo, issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and circulated to federal departments on Wednesday, signals a more aggressive approach by President Donald Trump’s administration than in previous shutdowns, where temporary furloughs were the norm.

“Programs that did not benefit from an infusion of mandatory appropriations will bear the brunt of a shutdown,” the OMB memo warned, instructing agencies to submit staff reduction plans and begin notifying employees.

The directive urges federal agencies to target programs not legally required to continue operating, raising fears of widespread layoffs beyond routine furloughs if lawmakers fail to pass a funding bill before the midnight September 30 fiscal deadline.

The warning comes amid an escalating funding standoff between the Trump administration and congressional Democrats, who last week rejected a stopgap funding bill hurriedly passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

The measure was intended to keep the government open temporarily but fell short of Democratic demands for changes in key spending priorities.

Tensions deepened after President Trump abruptly cancelled a Tuesday meeting with Democratic leaders, declaring he would not negotiate until they “become realistic” in their funding demands.

With both chambers of Congress on recess and senators not returning until Monday, time is rapidly running out to secure an agreement.

A shutdown would see non-essential federal operations grind to a halt, leaving hundreds of thousands of civil servants unpaid and potentially terminated if the White House follows through on its new strategy.

While Republicans control both the House and Senate, Senate rules require at least some Democratic support to move any funding package forward.

House Republicans have already warned that their members will not return before the deadline, effectively forcing the Senate to vote on their proposal or face a shutdown.

Even if passed, the House’s current plan would only fund the government through November 21, offering just a short-term reprieve.

CBI News understands that the U.S. narrowly avoided a shutdown in March, when similar partisan gridlock over Trump’s proposed massive budget cuts left thousands of federal employees temporarily without pay.