Government Shutdown - Sep 2025 Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this shutdown could be normally furloughed employees are essentially never coming back?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/white-house-mass-firings-government-shut-down

This is unclear.

Basically almost all of the executive branch has no independent funding except places like PTO.

Are they firing all those agencies?

Or do they mean anyone not essential and forced to work during shutdown is planned to be RIFFED?

The WH is saying to RIF everyone who is non-essential during the shutdown. Ordinarily, that's almost every federal employee. If this threat sticks around, then during the shutdown, departments and agencies will change their guidance about who is essential to include everyone. Every federal employee will be essential, will work as normal, but without pay until the shutdown ends. I doubt it will even come to that, though.

Honestly that's hilarious! Do they think the one essential SES in charge of HR can run all of HR by herself? Same with Finance? Or any of our program offices? Our essential employees are great, but they aren't the grunts doing the day to day work.

In my program office, my SES manager could not even begin to do my job. She only knows about 10% of what I know and do in my job area. Her role is to secure funding and to pass down info from politicals. My role is to keep the program running.

I am sure the Panda Cam program can survive without you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this shutdown could be normally furloughed employees are essentially never coming back?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/white-house-mass-firings-government-shut-down

This is unclear.

Basically almost all of the executive branch has no independent funding except places like PTO.

Are they firing all those agencies?

Or do they mean anyone not essential and forced to work during shutdown is planned to be RIFFED?

The WH is saying to RIF everyone who is non-essential during the shutdown. Ordinarily, that's almost every federal employee. If this threat sticks around, then during the shutdown, departments and agencies will change their guidance about who is essential to include everyone. Every federal employee will be essential, will work as normal, but without pay until the shutdown ends. I doubt it will even come to that, though.

Honestly that's hilarious! Do they think the one essential SES in charge of HR can run all of HR by herself? Same with Finance? Or any of our program offices? Our essential employees are great, but they aren't the grunts doing the day to day work.

In my program office, my SES manager could not even begin to do my job. She only knows about 10% of what I know and do in my job area. Her role is to secure funding and to pass down info from politicals. My role is to keep the program running.

I am sure the Panda Cam program can survive without you.

Yawn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this shutdown could be normally furloughed employees are essentially never coming back?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/white-house-mass-firings-government-shut-down

This is unclear.

Basically almost all of the executive branch has no independent funding except places like PTO.

Are they firing all those agencies?

Or do they mean anyone not essential and forced to work during shutdown is planned to be RIFFED?

The WH is saying to RIF everyone who is non-essential during the shutdown. Ordinarily, that's almost every federal employee. If this threat sticks around, then during the shutdown, departments and agencies will change their guidance about who is essential to include everyone. Every federal employee will be essential, will work as normal, but without pay until the shutdown ends. I doubt it will even come to that, though.

That’s not actually what the WH is saying. The OMB memo specifically says to consider RIFs in programs that don’t align with the admin’s priorities. They’ve already RIFed those people. Who is left to fire?

No one, which is why the memo isn't saying what you think it says. Like you said, it doesn't make sense your way, because those people have already been RIF'd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They might be doing mass firings if there is a shutdown. What a mess:

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/24/white-house-firings-shutdown-00579909

I want this to happen, and both my DH and I are feds. I am so sick of Trump thinking this is a game. Let him fire everyone. I am very sure we will all be brought back like they are doing to GSA right now because they won't be able to find people to do the work he actually needs to get done.

+1. I want Voight to do all the work of all the fired feds himself. He seems to have plenty of time on his hands to write asinine memos. How about he gets some real work to do.

+million. Fine. Fire us all. See how well the govt runs then. Grants will dry up. Services will shut down in communities. And when they sign a short term cr who will run all the programs funded if they fire half the govt? I seriously hate these people. They treat us with such disdain. Fire everyone and run the government yourself then you POS.

But that's the thing, they never shut down the entire federal government. They still keep the SS checks running, the VA hospitals open, etc. The public doesn't feel the pain because the most public jobs are still getting done. I don't think one SS check should go out during a shutdown.

This. I really wish it would affect these programs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this shutdown could be normally furloughed employees are essentially never coming back?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/white-house-mass-firings-government-shut-down

This is unclear.

Basically almost all of the executive branch has no independent funding except places like PTO.

Are they firing all those agencies?

Or do they mean anyone not essential and forced to work during shutdown is planned to be RIFFED?

The WH is saying to RIF everyone who is non-essential during the shutdown. Ordinarily, that's almost every federal employee. If this threat sticks around, then during the shutdown, departments and agencies will change their guidance about who is essential to include everyone. Every federal employee will be essential, will work as normal, but without pay until the shutdown ends. I doubt it will even come to that, though.

That’s not actually what the WH is saying. The OMB memo specifically says to consider RIFs in programs that don’t align with the admin’s priorities. They’ve already RIFed those people. Who is left to fire?

No one, which is why the memo isn't saying what you think it says. Like you said, it doesn't make sense your way, because those people have already been RIF'd.

It means it’s an empty threat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They might be doing mass firings if there is a shutdown. What a mess:

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/24/white-house-firings-shutdown-00579909

I want this to happen, and both my DH and I are feds. I am so sick of Trump thinking this is a game. Let him fire everyone. I am very sure we will all be brought back like they are doing to GSA right now because they won't be able to find people to do the work he actually needs to get done.

+1. I want Voight to do all the work of all the fired feds himself. He seems to have plenty of time on his hands to write asinine memos. How about he gets some real work to do.

+million. Fine. Fire us all. See how well the govt runs then. Grants will dry up. Services will shut down in communities. And when they sign a short term cr who will run all the programs funded if they fire half the govt? I seriously hate these people. They treat us with such disdain. Fire everyone and run the government yourself then you POS.

But that's the thing, they never shut down the entire federal government. They still keep the SS checks running, the VA hospitals open, etc. The public doesn't feel the pain because the most public jobs are still getting done. I don't think one SS check should go out during a shutdown.

This. I really wish it would affect these programs!

My agency and many agencies also keep running on our reserve/emergency budgets during shut downs. We've literally built a fund to keep going during shut downs. Technically we need a OMB waiver but they've always granted it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you seriously willing to call this administration’s bluff? Because I am not. This gives Vought/P2025 the excuse to do what he really wants to do - and a shutdown would be especially stupid because the proposal on the table is a clean CR

I am absolutely willing to call this bluff. What is Voight wanting to do? He is a complete moron. If he fires everyone and just thinks he can end all programs, Trump supporters will end him when they don't get the entitlements they are used to. If he thinks he can replace all of us, good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Dems should just cave and let the Obamacare subsidies lapse. When that bites people's pocketbooks, they might come to their senses and vote the Rs out. They should be strategic and only let Fetterman and six other Senators who are not up in 2026 vote for the CR.

Of course, if 1 million Feds are RIF'd as Vought is threatening, the unemployment numbers will be quite stark (yes, it is only 0.5% of the total workforce, but all at once is a jolt)

They won't vote Rs out for the end of Obamacare! They'll vote the Ds out for caving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give the whole king thing a break. It’s so stupid. The House passed a bill, the Dems need to get on board or they own this shutdown.

Polling shows that most people will blame Republicans. https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-warning-government-shutdown-poll-2131332

I don't believe these polls for a second, because political polls have been wrong all the time lately. They don't poll the people who are actually voting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give the whole king thing a break. It’s so stupid. The House passed a bill, the Dems need to get on board or they own this shutdown.

Polling shows that most people will blame Republicans. https://www.newsweek.com/republicans-warning-government-shutdown-poll-2131332

I don't believe these polls for a second, because political polls have been wrong all the time lately. They don't poll the people who are actually voting.

So you have no evidence to offer as a counterpoint. Okay. Thanks for sharing your feelings, I guess?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this shutdown could be normally furloughed employees are essentially never coming back?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/white-house-mass-firings-government-shut-down

This is unclear.

Basically almost all of the executive branch has no independent funding except places like PTO.

Are they firing all those agencies?

Or do they mean anyone not essential and forced to work during shutdown is planned to be RIFFED?

The WH is saying to RIF everyone who is non-essential during the shutdown. Ordinarily, that's almost every federal employee. If this threat sticks around, then during the shutdown, departments and agencies will change their guidance about who is essential to include everyone. Every federal employee will be essential, will work as normal, but without pay until the shutdown ends. I doubt it will even come to that, though.

That’s not actually what the WH is saying. The OMB memo specifically says to consider RIFs in programs that don’t align with the admin’s priorities. They’ve already RIFed those people. Who is left to fire?

No one, which is why the memo isn't saying what you think it says. Like you said, it doesn't make sense your way, because those people have already been RIF'd.

It sounds like an empty threat, saying that if Dems don't pass the spending bill, WH will RIF or shutdown the agencies that receive appropriations (tax dollars). But as we've seen before, Trump flip flopping on the tariffs and other threats, Trump Always Chickens Out (TACO). Also it may not impact the independent agencies that generate their own revenue and do not get appropirations from tax dollars.

[Anonymous]

I hope you all have some back up plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this shutdown could be normally furloughed employees are essentially never coming back?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/white-house-mass-firings-government-shut-down

This is cute. It’s clear that Federal workers are not a priority for Democrats, so this really won’t work as a scare tactic. It will look bad for Dema to sacrifice ACA subsidies for low income Americans to save the jobs of Feds with solid benefits.

You are blaming Dems when the GOP holds the House, Senate, and the WH?

Not blaming Dems, just saying as a strategy “ Nice executive branch you got here; it would be a shame if something happened to it.” is not as useful in current conditions as it will further erode the Democratic alignment with the working class.

The Democrats will fold 💯 as they always do but this argument that they have to be weak in order to show the working class they care about them makes no sense whatsoever. Working class people do not care if the federal government stays open. They see themselves as receiving nothing of value from the federal government. A shutdown where they are disabused of that view is not actually going to change their minds, unfortunately.

It’s amazing how, after having six months to strategize, Ds still have their position and messaging laid out in a way that a threat like this can divide any unity. Whats it going to take to become a viable party? Don’t we as a country deserve at least one? I’m tired of cults. I guess Rs get to govern because one big cult overwhelms a bunch of little ones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope you all have some back up plans.

i have about 8 months of expenses in cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So this shutdown could be normally furloughed employees are essentially never coming back?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/24/politics/white-house-mass-firings-government-shut-down

This is cute. It’s clear that Federal workers are not a priority for Democrats, so this really won’t work as a scare tactic. It will look bad for Dema to sacrifice ACA subsidies for low income Americans to save the jobs of Feds with solid benefits.

You are blaming Dems when the GOP holds the House, Senate, and the WH?

Not blaming Dems, just saying as a strategy “ Nice executive branch you got here; it would be a shame if something happened to it.” is not as useful in current conditions as it will further erode the Democratic alignment with the working class.

The Democrats will fold 💯 as they always do but this argument that they have to be weak in order to show the working class they care about them makes no sense whatsoever. Working class people do not care if the federal government stays open. They see themselves as receiving nothing of value from the federal government. A shutdown where they are disabused of that view is not actually going to change their minds, unfortunately.

It’s amazing how, after having six months to strategize, Ds still have their position and messaging laid out in a way that a threat like this can divide any unity. Whats it going to take to become a viable party? Don’t we as a country deserve at least one? I’m tired of cults. I guess Rs get to govern because one big cult overwhelms a bunch of little ones?

R's get to govern for as long as the Ds remain incompetent, which looks like it will be forever.

The play here will be either every fed will be declared essential and forced to work without a paycheck, or all nonessential feds are fired. In either case, Trump will say that the Ds caused this pain to the feds because they are the ones who refused to sign the bill and caused the shutdown.

It's so easy to flip the script here and tell people what's really going on, but the Ds won't be able to do that because they are stupid. So Trump wins, and we either will work with no paycheck, get fired, or Ds cave. All bad options.