Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Oct 16: The ongoing US government shutdown has taken a grim turn, with the White House announcing plans to lay off at least 10,000 federal employees as the political standoff between President Donald Trump and Congressional Democrats stretches into its third week.

According to White House Office of Management and Budget chief Russ Vought, the layoffs are part of a broader plan to “shutter the bureaucracy” as the administration steps up pressure on Democrats to approve government funding. “I think we’ll probably end up being north of 10,000,” Vought said in an interview with the Charlie Kirk Show.

Court filings by the US Department of Justice revealed that more than 4,000 employees were already dismissed last Friday, with departments such as Treasury, Health, Education, and Housing facing the hardest impact. Vought added that these figures represented only a “snapshot,” and the number was expected to rise further.

The shutdown began after a fierce impasse between the Republican-led White House and Democratic lawmakers over spending priorities. President Trump has warned that continued refusal by Democrats to pass a resolution funding the government through late November could lead to mass layoffs — particularly among employees perceived to be aligned with the opposition.

Meanwhile, the crisis is beginning to affect military personnel, with many troops facing the possibility of missed paychecks. Reports have surfaced of service members lining up at food banks as uncertainty grows over when the deadlock might end.

With both parties blaming each other for the crisis, the political and human costs of the shutdown continue to mount — leaving thousands of American families in distress.