US government shutdown

• Shutdown begins: The federal government shut down at midnight after Congress failed to reach a funding agreement. Republicans and Democrats remain divided over expanded Obamacare subsidies, with leaders from both sides blaming each other.

• Impact: Federal workers are most affected during shutdowns. While essential agencies and services continue operating, non-essential programs are halted. We are tracking which services are being disrupted.

• Uncertain duration: It is unclear how long the shutdown will last. Ahead of the lapse, the White House budget office instructed agencies to prepare plans for large-scale layoffs.

White House warns layoffs are “imminent”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that layoffs to the federal workforce are imminent, signaling a new stage in the Trump administration’s effort to reshape the size and role of government.

“Unfortunately, because the Democrats shut down the government, the president has directed his Cabinet, and the Office of Management and Budget is working with agencies across the board to identify where cuts can be made,” Leavitt said.

She added: “We believe that layoffs are imminent. They are, unfortunately, a consequence of this government shutdown.”

Historically, shutdowns have resulted in furloughs or unpaid work for many federal employees, but not mass layoffs. Even during Trump’s first term, large-scale workforce cuts did not follow shutdowns.

Leavitt did not specify what portion of the federal workforce would be affected and said only that layoffs could take place “very soon.”