Senate Democrat accuses Trump of mafia-style blackmail in shutdown memo fight

A Senate Democrat condemned President Donald Trump on Tuesday after the Office of Management and Budget released a memo detailing how agencies should respond to a possible government shutdown, including mass firings beyond standard furloughs. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said the memo amounted to "mafia-style blackmail" and accused the administration of threatening essential services to coerce Congress. He argued that such actions would harm the public and called the plan an improper pressure tactic aimed at political opponents rather than serving Americans.

The memo obtained by Fox News Digital directs agencies to prepare for reductions in force (RIF) notices in addition to furloughs if lawmakers cannot pass a funding extension or continuing resolution by the deadline. It states that RIF notices would be issued "in addition to any furlough notices provided due to the lapse in appropriations" and would be sent "regardless of whether the employee is excepted or furloughed during the lapse in appropriations." The directive is part of a broader debate over how to fund the government when Congress remains at an impasse over policy riders and spending levels.

Lawmakers are set to return to Washington with the Sept. 30 funding deadline looming. The House previously passed a short-term extension, but Senate Republicans and Democrats remain far apart on a longer-term funding bill. Republicans and some Democrats have demanded changes to policy provisions and the size of funding packages, complicating any push to a timely resolution. Democrats have pressed for a seat at the negotiating table, while Republicans insist on sticking to a tighter, deadline-driven approach.

Republicans pushed back against Democrats’ counter-offer, arguing that the counterproposal was unreconciliable and contained items they oppose. The GOP’s funding plan reportedly includes extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies permanently, repealing the health-care provisions of Trump’s signature legislation, and restoring funding for NPR and PBS that Democrats had targeted for cuts in prior negotiations. The clash culminated in a high-profile plan for a meeting between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Trump, which was canceled by the White House amid the dispute, with Trump accusing Democrats of making "ridiculous" demands in their counter-offer to the GOP’s plan.

Van Hollen’s office reiterated that the threat to lay off civil servants who provide essential services should not be part of policy bargaining, arguing that the workers in question are not responsible for policy disputes and should not be subjected to political leverage. The senator pledged to use every tool available to defend federal employees and the public services those workers deliver, regardless of how the shutdown debate evolves.

As lawmakers prepare to return to Capitol Hill, the funding deadline remains the focal point of the crisis. If a funding bill or CR is not enacted by midnight on Sept. 30, agencies would face a lapse in appropriations and the potential for furloughs and other contingency actions, with the memo outlining that agencies should be prepared for reductions in force where funding is unavailable and where programs do not align with the administration’s priorities. The dispute underscores the broader political stalemate surrounding government financing and the policy disputes that have repeatedly slowed negotiations this year. The path to a resolution remains uncertain, and the country could again face a disruption in federal services if the impasse persists.