US President Donald Trump’s administration began detailing its plans on Monday regarding which services will be paused if the federal government shuts down this week, with the US Department of Health and Human Services set to furlough 41% of its workforce. The impending shutdown will differ from past government closures as the administration has threatened mass firings of federal staff, suggesting it could use the funding lapse to downsize the federal government.
The Office of Personnel Management stated in a Monday memo that while training and onboarding new federal employees is not allowed during a shutdown, employees overseeing any firings should continue their work. Unlike in past shutdowns, furloughed federal employees will be allowed to use their government-issued computers to check for layoff notices in their email, according to OPM.
“This outrageous plan threatens to cause lasting damage to the country and the safety of the American people by mass firing nonpartisan, expert civil servants and potentially even eliminating government agencies,” Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate committee overseeing shutdown operations, said in a letter to the administration.
The US Department of Health and Human Services indicated it would not admit new patients to its clinical research studies and would limit health-related communications to the public if the government shuts down.
The US Labor Department announced it would suspend economic data releases in a shutdown, including the closely watched monthly employment report for September.
Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, and the minority Democrats have not reached an agreement on a stopgap funding bill to prevent a Wednesday shutdown. Congressional leaders were set to meet with Trump on Monday.
Both sides emerged from the meeting stating that the other would be at fault if Congress fails to extend government funding beyond a Tuesday midnight deadline (0400 GMT Wednesday).
“I think we’re headed to a shutdown,” Vice President JD Vance said.
Democrats insist that any agreement to extend the deadline must also preserve expiring health benefits, while Trump’s Republicans argue that health and government funding should be treated as separate issues.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer remarked that the two sides “have very large differences.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shutdown operations are governed by a 19th-century law that prohibits federal government operations in areas without approved federal funding from Congress. There are exceptions for national security purposes and to protect life and property. Key government benefits paid for by mandatory spending, like Social Security payments for seniors and healthcare access through Medicare and Medicaid, are not affected. Federal student loans and Pell grants for students in financial need also continue. In previous years, plans for federal agencies’ responses to a shutdown were made available to the public and Congress weeks before a funding lapse, but many departments released their plans within the last 24 hours this year.
The Department of Labor stated in its plan that the Bureau of Labor Statistics “will suspend all operations” and that economic data scheduled during a funding lapse will not be released.
Some other publicly available plans resemble previous shutdown plans from other administrations; however, the staffing data shows the impact of the Trump administration’s layoffs, firings, and early retirement offers. There are about 12,000 fewer full-time employees at the Health and Human Services Department compared to last year and about 1,700 fewer employees at the Education Department than in 2024, according to the plans.
The Veterans Affairs department noted that benefits and medical care would continue in the event of a shutdown, but maintenance at cemeteries would cease. The Internal Revenue Service will maintain full operations and staffing due to remaining supplemental funding signed into law by former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, providing an advantage for the Trump administration despite Republican lawmakers criticizing the increased funding for tax enforcement and services.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis, responsible for calculating US GDP statistics, will pause economic data releases if the government shuts down, according to a statement posted Monday afternoon.
