❓WHAT HAPPENED: Layoffs of government employees have begun, as the Senate Democrats’ shutdown of the federal government drags on with no end in sight.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, Senate Democrats, and other Democrat and Republican lawmakers.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The shutdown began on October 1, 2025, with impacts felt nationwide as Senate Democrats refuse to budge on a funding bill.
💬KEY QUOTE: “The RIFs have begun,” said OMB Director Russ Vought, referencing layoffs of federal employees.
🎯IMPACT: Federal workers and active-duty military members are missing paychecks, with air traffic controller shortages causing flight delays and national security concerns rising.
The federal government shutdown that began on October 1 shows no signs of resolution, with layoffs of federal employees now underway and hundreds of thousands of workers missing their pay. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, an alumnus of Project 2025, confirmed the layoffs on Friday, writing on X, “The RIFs have begun,” referring to reductions-in-force. An OMB spokesman described the job cuts as “substantial.”
The shutdown has already led to a halt in pay for federal employees. “Friday marks the first day workers will not receive their full paychecks,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), noting that active-duty service members could also miss their October 15 paycheck. “The ball is in the court of Senate Democrats right now,” he added.
The RIFs have begun.
— Russ Vought (@russvought) October 10, 2025
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) warned the situation could worsen quickly. “The American people are going to miss a lot more and feel a lot more pain and miss a lot more paychecks in the very near future,” he said, highlighting Democrat resistance to a GOP proposal for a short-term funding extension through November 21.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced it will furlough nearly half its workforce. The agency warned of tax filing delays and backlogs. While most furloughed workers are expected to receive back pay, questions remain over how and when those payments will be authorized.
Essential workers, including air traffic controllers, continue to work without pay. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said President Trump is “exploring” ways to ensure military personnel are paid during the shutdown, but no legislation has been passed to guarantee that.
With the House out of session until at least October 20 and the Senate not set to reconvene until Tuesday afternoon, negotiations remain stalled. Some Republicans have begun suggesting a possible rules change to end the standoff, with calls to eliminate the Senate filibuster gaining attention.
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