Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought has emerged at the center of one of the most consequential federal workforce decisions in recent history. Over the last several days, Vought has publicly overseen and confirmed mass reductions-in-force, known as RIFs, that have resulted in permanent layoffs for more than four thousand federal employees across multiple agencies. This marks a sharp departure from past government shutdowns, where furloughs were typical and workers could expect restoration once funding resumed. Vought announced on Friday via social media that “the RIFs have begun,” signaling a new phase during the prolonged government shutdown that started on October first.

Agencies targeting the layoffs include the Treasury Department, Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security. The Treasury alone saw more than one thousand four hundred jobs eliminated. In addition, special divisions within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, such as its Infrastructure Security unit, have been affected. According to official memos, all staff overseeing the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund received termination notices with the stated rationale that their work no longer fits the administration’s priorities. The shutdown has also led the administration to freeze or cancel billions of dollars in infrastructure and energy projects, especially those related to diversity initiatives and climate programs, with Vought stating publicly that eighteen billion dollars in New York City transit projects and over two billion dollars in Chicago have been put on hold. Nearly eight billion in climate-related funding across more than a dozen states was also halted.

These decisions are part of a wider approach outlined in Project 2025, a detailed restructuring plan focused on shrinking what the administration calls the "administrative state." Vought, credited as a key architect of the project, has stated intentions to make federal employment less desirable for those opposing this agenda. Some Republican leaders have voiced support for Vought’s hardline stance, suggesting the firings will help pressure Congressional Democrats to broker a deal, though others, like Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, have condemned the moves as punitive and disruptive to essential services.

The ongoing government shutdown and mass layoffs have drawn criticism from labor unions and civil service advocates, who argue that the tactics put politics above public needs and risk lasting harm to core federal programs.

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