JD Vance says “deeper cuts” possible amid government shutdown

Vice President JD Vance warned that the federal government will look to make “deeper cuts” to its workforce as the shutdown nears two weeks with little hope of an end in sight.

Newsweek reached out to the White House and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by email outside of normal business hours on Sunday afternoon.

Why It Matters

The Trump administration has looked to cut the federal workforce during the government shutdown, which has lasted for 11 days. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its continuing resolution (CR) which provides hold-over funding until a proper funding bill can be agreed.

However, the Senate requires 60 votes to pass the same bill, and few Democrats broke ranks to vote in favor of passing the CR. Instead, a series of “mini bills” have been considered, such as providing payment for military personnel, providing veterans’ services, and other such issues.

What To Know

President Donald Trump gave OMB Director Russell Vought the green light to make significant reductions to the federal workforce while the shutdown continues, with OMB saying that well over 4,000 federal employees would soon be fired.

Trump posted to Truth Social earlier this month that he and Vought discussed “which of the many Democrat Agencies” to cut and later posted an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated video of Vought as the “reaper” with a parody of Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” to tease Democrats about the potential layoffs.

Vance told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo during an appearance on Sunday Morning Futures that more cuts could follow if the shutdown continues.

“The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be,” Vance said. “To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful. This is not a situation that we relish. This is not something that we’re looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards.”

Labor unions have filed a lawsuit against the administration to block the layoffs, noting that such action marks a sharp departure from standard shutdown protocol.

Typically, federal employees are furloughed during a funding lapse but return to work once the government reopens. Democrats have called the firings illegal and accused the administration of weaponizing the shutdown for political leverage. 

Vance said later on Sunday during an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation that the White House remains open to talking with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, but that thus far the administration sees the Democrats’ approach as “hostage-taking.”

“This isn’t a dealmaking, this isn’t a negotiation,” Vance said, adding that the administration is looking to negotiate health care policy with Democrats only after the government resumes operations.

“If Chuck Schumer wants to come into the Oval Office or come to my house, he is welcome to talk about how to fix health care policy for Americans,” Vance said. “But you don’t come into the Oval Office and say, ‘unless you, the President of the United States, give us everything that I want, I’m going to shut down the government.'”

What People Are Saying

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich wrote on X earlier this month: “A government shutdown means Americans won’t get the services they depend on. Federal workers won’t get their paychecks. People’s livelihoods will be upended. This is happening because Republicans wanted to pay for more tax cuts for the super rich by making devastating cuts to the social safety net.”

President Donald Trump on Truth Social earlier this month: “I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent. I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity. They are not stupid people, so maybe this is their way of wanting to, quietly and quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DJT”

President of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, said in a statement: “It is disgraceful that the Trump administration has used the government shutdown as an excuse to illegally fire thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country.”

What Happens Next?

The stalemate over the government shutdown between Democrats and Republicans has not showed signs of breaking.