OMB chief Russell Vought: Federal workers layoffs to begin within a "day or two"

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the Trump administration will begin firing federal workers in a "day or two," sources told Axios.

Why it matters: It's the first day of a government shutdown, and the White House and GOP leaders are moving to maximize pressure on Democrats — aiming to make the fallout as painful as possible for them. • Vought made the comments on a House Republican conference-wide call Wednesday afternoon. • He offered no specifics on which agencies would be targeted, according to two people on the call. • The remarks coincided with Senate's third failed attempt to pass the GOP's stopgap funding plan.

Catch up quick: Vought issued a memo last week that threatened mass layoffs if a shutdown was triggered. • In the memo, Vought instructed