WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump told reporters he may lay off “vast numbers” of federal workers and eliminate programs in a looming federal shutdown.

The White House Office of Management and Budget had asked agencies for plans to lay off workers rather than simply furlough them, as in past shutdowns. Trump blamed Democrats for layoffs looming at midnight Sept. 30.

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people and cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “They’re taking a risk by having a shutdown.”

Trump argues Democrats want to provide health care for undocumented immigrants

Trump blamed the looming shutdown on what he argued was Democrats insisting on providing federal health care to undocumented immigrants.

“We’ll probably have a shutdown,” Trump said. “They are shutting it down,” Trump added of Democrats. “We’re not shutting it down. We don’t want it to shut down.”

Trump met Sept. 29 with congressional leaders but remained at an impasse. Trump blamed the shutdown on Democrats demanding healthcare for undocumented immigrants.

“They want to be able to take care of people that come into our country illegally – and no system can handle that,” Trump said. “We’re totally opposed on that.”

Democrats warn people will lose Obamacare unless Congress extends subsidies

Republican leaders said their aim is to prevent undocumented immigrants from receiving federal health benefits and to require 80 hours of work or volunteer service per month to receive benefits.

Democrats focused after meeting Sept. 29 with Trump on extending federal subsidies for Obamacare, a health insurance marketplace. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said middle-class families could see premiums rise $400 per month as they begin signing up Nov. 1 for next year's coverage.

“We’re seeing people not being able to get the healthcare they need and the American people are crying out for some help,” Schumer said. “It is our job as legislative leaders to try and solve this problem or at least fix the problem.”

But Trump refused to extend Obamacare, which he called “bad.” Trump instead offered to come up with a new system. He cited Pfizer’s commitment Sept. 30 to reducing the cost of prescriptions in the U.S. to the prices paid in other countries.

“Nothing is inevitable but I would say it’s probably likely,” Trump added about a shutdown. “I didn’t see them bend even a little bit when I said we can’t do that,” Trump said of extending Obamacare subsidies.

Facing the prospect that millions of people could lose health insurance by the end of the year, Mehmet Oz, the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the government could make changes once Congress gets past the shutdown.

“We have time to make changes before the end of the year,” Oz said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump said 'vast numbers' of federal workers could be laid off in shutdown

Reporting by Bart Jansen, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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