USDA officials are preparing for more layoffs if the government shuts down this week, according to two people with direct knowledge of the plans.
The department has submitted its tentative shutdown contingency plan — which includes a reduction-in-force provision — to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget for approval, according to the individuals, who were granted anonymity to discuss the private talks.
They could not provide further details on which employees would be cut, but the two people said the rest of the proposal largely mirrors USDA’s typical shutdown contingency plan that was last publicly updated during the Biden administration.
OMB instructed agencies in a memo last week to begin drafting RIF plans that would go beyond standard furloughs, permanently eliminating jobs in programs not consistent with President Donald Trump’s priorities, as POLITICO first reported. Director Russ Vought has sought to use the layoffs as leverage in shutdown talks, though lawmakers don’t seem closer to reaching a deal.
