Trump admin threatens mass firings if government shuts down

Government Shutdown Threat - The White House is threatening mass firings of federal workers if the government shuts down due to Congress deadlock on funding [1][2] - The White House's Office of Management and Budget is asking federal agencies to prepare for a reduction in force [2] - Democrats accuse the President of running away from negotiations [5][6] - Republicans believe Democrats will ultimately cave, especially with the threat of mass layoffs [16] - Democrats insist they will not be bullied and will continue to stand up to the President [17] Political Positions and Negotiations - The President blames Democrats for a potential shutdown, calling their demands unreasonable [3] - Democratic requests include over a trillion dollars in new spending to keep the government open for 7 weeks [5] - Democrats are united in wanting to negotiate but are not going to get everything they want [10] - Congressional leadership urged the President to cancel the meeting with Democratic lawmakers, believing Republicans have the upper hand [20][21][22] - Republicans plan to blame Democrats for any potential shutdown [23] Potential Consequences - A shutdown without paychecks on top of additional layoffs would be a disaster for the federal workforce [18] - Programs not consistent with the President's priorities might be gutted, not just for the length of the shutdown, but permanently [14][15] - There is no obvious offramp, and the two sides are not talking, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown [25][26]