White House Tells Agencies to Prep for Job Cuts in Shutdown (2)

The White House budget office is telling federal agencies to prepare plans for mass firings during a possible government shutdown.

The move would represent a substantial escalation beyond normal shutdown protocols in recent years, under which government workers deemed nonessential in the case of a funding lapse were typically furloughed and eventually brought back when funding is restored — usually with back pay provided.

The threat to shut down unfunded programs came in a memo sent late Wednesday from the White House Office of Management and Budget to agency budget offices. The scope of those potential cuts wasn’t immediately known, ...