As a partial government shutdown looms, over 100,000 federal employees are set to resign under a strategy designed to pressure lawmakers. The federal government faces a potential shutdown if no agreement is reached by midnight on Tuesday. A memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to reduce staff in “non-essential roles” during a partial shutdown. OMB Director Russ Vought emphasized the administration’s preparedness, stating the need to counter Democratic efforts to exploit the situation.
Agencies are required to submit workforce reduction plans to the OMB for approval, with adjustments delayed by 60 days—likely beyond any shutdown period. The longest government shutdown in history lasted 35 days in late 2018 and early 2019, ending after the president declared a national emergency to fund border infrastructure.
The resignation initiative, costing $14.8 billion, includes 200,000 workers receiving full pay during administrative leave. Officials claim the program will reduce long-term federal expenses by $28 billion annually. A White House spokesperson asserted there would be “no additional cost” to the government, as employees would have been compensated regardless.
The total expected departures include 275,000 employees through voluntary separations, attrition, and early retirement programs. Thousands of federal workers have also been terminated under reduction-in-force mandates, marking the largest single-year decline in civilian federal employment since World War II. Many resigning employees requested anonymity to safeguard future career opportunities.