Russell Vert, the Head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), announced that a memo will be issued on Tuesday evening directing government agencies to start preparing for an “orderly shutdown.”
In a communication sent to agency leaders just hours before government funding was set to expire at midnight, the OMB director expressed disapproval of what he termed “the impending shutdown due to Democrats’ unreasonable policy demands.”
Vert emphasized the necessity for impacted agencies to enact their shutdown plans adequately.
Several government agencies have already put contingency measures in place, indicating that a shutdown could potentially lead to the layoff of thousands of federal employees and disrupt the distribution of important government benefits, such as nutrition assistance programs.
President Trump has warned that he might dismiss federal workers if the shutdown occurs, along with cutting programs favored by Democrats.
Vert noted in his memo that it remains uncertain how long Democrats can maintain their stance or how lengthy the shutdown might actually be.
“Regardless, employees should report for their regularly scheduled duties. Once the President signs a budget bill, we will issue a new memo directing government operations to resume,” he added.
In a recent Senate vote, Democrats largely united to move forward with a bill that would keep the government funded until November 21st. This comes after they previously turned down a similar measure proposed by House Republicans on September 19th.
Senators John Fetterman (Pa.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) were notable exceptions, as they, along with independent Senator Angus King (Maine), supported the Republican measures.
Senate Democrats have also proposed alternative funding solutions that would cover government expenses through October 31 and extend enhanced health premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, aimed at reversing nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. However, those efforts also fell short.
To pass the funding measure, the Senate requires 60 votes, meaning that Republicans will need at least seven Democrats to back the bill.
