White House Warns of Imminent Layoffs as Shutdown Drags On

The White House says mass layoffs of federal workers will begin within two days if the government shutdown continues, raising fears for nearly 750,000 employees and billions in lost economic output.

The shutdown began after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a spending deal before the deadline, with both sides locked in a bitter blame game. At a briefing, Vice-President JD Vance accused Democrats of “political games,” while Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said job cuts were now unavoidable.

Democrats argue they are fighting to protect healthcare benefits for low-income Americans, while Republicans insist their priority is simply keeping the government open with a stop-gap funding bill.

With no compromise in sight and another vote not expected until Friday, analysts warn this shutdown could surpass the scale of 2018 — hitting workers, services, and the wider US economy even harder.