U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday directed federal agencies to prepare for more large-scale layoffs that would further thin the ranks of the U.S. civil service.
The memo calls for a “significant reduction” in headcount, but does not specify how many workers should be laid off, beyond the 100,000 who have already taken a buyout or been fired.
Agencies would have to submit plans by March 13, a day before current government funding is due to expire, according to the memo signed by Russell Vought, the White House budget director, and Charles Ezell, acting head of the Office of Personnel Management.
The memo came shortly before Trump convened his first cabinet meeting with billionaireElon Musk,who is leading a radical downsizing effort that aims to cut $1 trillion from the $6.7 trillion federal budget. Musk attended the meeting, wearing a black baseball cap, but did not sit at the table with Trump and cabinet officials.
At the same time, Trump is pressing Congress to pass tax cuts that would reduce government revenues by trillions of dollars, a move that independent experts say would worsen the nation’s heavy debt load.
Late on Tuesday, Republicans advanced a plan with a 217-215 vote in the House of Representatives that would cut taxes by $4.5 trillion and reduce spending by up to $2 trillion. They now are considering cuts to health and food aid for the poor, though specifics have yet to emerge.
Musk’s efforts to slash spending have plunged the government into chaos, upending construction projects and freezing scientific research across the country.
It has also put him at odds with some senior members of Trump’s administration, who were caught by surprise by a Saturday email directive to the nation’s 2.3 million civilian federal workers to justify their jobs. Some agencies told employees to ignore Musk’s demand.
Musk has kept pressing for workers to respond. Trump told reporters on Tuesday the request was “somewhat voluntary, but it’s also if you don’t answer, I guess you get fired.”
Musk’s efforts have not slowed government spending so far. A Reuters analysis of Treasury data shows that the government spent $710 billion during his first month in office, up 13% from the same period last year.
That increase is largely driven by mounting interest costs related to the nation’s $36 trillion debt load, as well as rising health and retirement costs incurred by an aging population. (Reuters)
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