The US government shutdown that began this week has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers facing weeks without pay, as the White House signaled it may go beyond temporary furloughs and move toward permanent layoffs.
According to Axios, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told Republican lawmakers that agencies could begin firing federal employees "within a day or two" of the shutdown, a sharp break from past practice where workers were furloughed but guaranteed back pay once funding resumed.
