US shutdown day 3: Trump threatens mass layoffs & agency cuts
The US government entered its third day of a shutdown as the Trump administration warned of impending layoffs and the dismantling of federal agencies.
The White House stated it plans to leverage the situation and, in doing so, punish Democratic lawmakers who vehemently oppose a Senate deal to prolong federal government funding. Another goal is to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy. Therefore, thousands of federal employees face redundancy instead of being furloughed.
The Senate is expected to reconvene on Friday, 3 October, with negotiations anticipated to resume.
Moreover, the US government shutdown is also affecting operations at the US embassy in Chișinău, Moldova.
"Due to the budgetary lapse, this Facebook account will not be regularly updated until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information. During this period, scheduled passport and visa services in the United States and at US embassies and consulates abroad will continue, to the extent the situation permits, for the duration of the budgetary lapse. We will not update this account until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information. For information about our services and operational status, please visit travel.state.gov," reads a message posted on the diplomatic mission’s official Facebook page.
Donald Trump said in an online post that the budget standoff offers the administration an opportunity to eliminate "deadwood" – referring to waste and fraud – and to achieve billions of dollars in savings.
On Thursday, 2 October, the former President met White House Budget Director Russell Vought to discuss the potential elimination of certain Democratic federal agencies. These include the Environmental Protection Agency, the one that promotes social equity, or the one for fighting poverty.
"I can't believe the radical Left Democrats have given me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of quietly and quickly wanting to 'Make America Great Again,'" he wrote on Truth Social.
The man advising Donald Trump on this matter is one of the authors of the ultra-conservative political agenda "Project 2025". The document recommended, among other things, the dismissal of thousands of federal civil servants and their replacement with people loyal to the President. During the campaign, Trump categorically distanced himself from such proposals.
Donald Trump, US President: "I have nothing to do with Project 2025."
White House Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt explained that large-scale layoffs are coming.
"Most likely thousands of people will be fired. We will analyse every federal agency that promotes values contrary to those supported by this administration and which, we believe, is wasting the taxes paid by Americans," said the White House spokeswoman.
On Wednesday, the first day of the federal shutdown, Vought announced the cancellation of environmental projects worth eight billion dollars in 16 states that voted for Kamala Harris. And in New York State, a Democratic bastion, $18 billion in funds allocated for two public transportation modernization projects were frozen.
On the other hand, specialists warn that disruptions in the provision of public services will follow, as thousands of federal employees with duties considered "non-essential" have been sent home. For example, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said it fears for airspace safety after more than 2,300 of its members were forced to take furlough.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
