As the nation hurtles toward another in a monotonous series of faux "government shutdowns" next week, the Trump administration is taking a page out of Churchill's playbook, "Never let a good crisis go to waste.” (Yes, I know Rahm Emmanuel said it too, but does anyone believe he ever had an original thought?) In preparation for a totally unnecessary shutdown, the Office of Management and Budget has ordered agencies to fire, not furlough, all employees working on "programs, projects, or activities (PPAs) that satisfy all three of the following conditions: (1) discretionary funding lapses on October 1, 2025; (2) another source of funding, such as H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21) is not currently available; and (3) the PPA is not consistent with the President’s priorities."
The idea is that once funding for specific programs that are not required by law lapses, agencies will shutter the programs and lay off the staff. This will not be a case of the usual nonsense where employees are brought back after a budget is passed and paid for the time they were furloughed. This will not only save money, but it will "right size" the government workforce according to President Trump's vision.
Hakeem Jefferies, the House Minority Leader, is not happy.
Having watched Russ Vought in action since January, Jeffries should know that Vought doesn't threaten. He's a man of his word.
He is doubly unhappy as President Trump cancelled a planned negotiating session with Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Jeffries on Tuesday, saying “after reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive.
The differences between the continuing resolution that has passed the House and Senate and the demands by Schumer and Jeffries are substantial. The Democrats not only want to do the budget cuts in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," they want to lard it up with over $1 trillion in new spending, including Medicaid spending for illegals.
While Chuck Schumer's timeline is full of bluster
He's upset because Trump is refusing to negotiate with himself. Schumer and Jeffries have nothing to offer but unreasonable demands. If Trump ignores them, then he gets to make deeper cuts in government than would ever pass Congress. Trump's constituency is not federal workers or the contractors who leech off the federal budget. Putting those people out of work will have a very limited impact on Trump or the GOP in the House and Senate.
Even if funding is restored, the staff cuts made under the shutdown can be made permanent by simply not hiring to fill those slots.
Admittedly, we are dealing with the GOP, and they resolutely persist in pulling defeat from the jaws of victory, but this government shutdown could aid the Trump and DOGE goals of streamlining government.
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