The White House announced the start of substantial layoffs of federal workers due to the ongoing government shutdown, marking a significant escalation in the standoff.

Russ Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), confirmed on X that “The RIFs have begun,” referring to reductions in force.

The big picture: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) stated employees across multiple divisions received layoff notices, identifying those workers as non-essential. • HHS linked the layoffs directly to the “Democrat-led shutdown” and highlighted that the agency is closing “wasteful and duplicative entities” conflicting with the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. • This approach contrasts with previous shutdowns where federal employees wer

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