On Monday, White House Press Director Karoline Leavitt issued a warning about potential government layoffs unless Democrats act to avert a shutdown by Tuesday. This follows actions taken by President Trump’s Budget Office urging preparations for significant layoffs.
When asked about possible layoffs due to a shutdown, Leavitt stated, “If Democrats don’t leave the government open.” The remarks come just as Trump is set to meet with four major Congressional leaders at the White House later that day. Both Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed hopes of reaching an agreement to prevent the shutdown.
Leavitt emphasized a somewhat uncompromising stance, saying, “There’s nothing to negotiate when you have a clean CR [continuing resolution]. We are approaching the government shutdown. The President wants this deadline. He wants to maintain government operations.”
Before a meeting on Fox News, she reiterated the White House’s call for “a common sense and clean funding resolution” to keep the government functioning.
Leavitt suggested that this was a pivotal moment for Democratic leaders, urging them not to play political games against Trump but to come to the table for discussions.
In a prior communication, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) indicated they might initiate a reduction in federal employee numbers if the government were to close, hinting at a potential permanent layoff rather than the usual furloughs, where employees temporarily stop working without pay.
Amid all this, Congressional Republicans and the White House are positioning the blame on Democrats if funding lapses by Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader John Tune criticized Democrats for holding the federal government “hostage” to their demands for budget negotiations.
