The White House budget office is instructing federal agencies to prepare reduction-in-force plans for mass firings during a possible U.S. government shutdown.
Politico reported that as the Sept. 30 deadline get closer, Washington is bracing for the possibility of a federal government shutdown as partisan gridlock stalls efforts to extend funding.
House Republicans recently advanced a stopgap bill to keep the government open through Nov. 21, but the Senate blocked the measure, citing its failure to include Democratic priorities such as funding for health care programs, according to The Washington Post.
Democrats countered with their own proposal to extend operations until Oct. 31 while restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies and Medicaid support, but Republicans dismissed the plan and prevented a vote in the Senate, the Post reported.
The standoff intensified when President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a scheduled meeting with Democrat leaders, calling it pointless and accusing them of being inflexible.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded by saying Republicans bear full responsibility for finding a solution since they control the House, Senate, and White House, according to Politico.
With no deal in sight and the legislative calendar tightening, the chances of a partial government shutdown are increasing by the day, The Washington Post wrote.
