The Schumer shutdown grinds on. On Wednesday, Senate Democrats once again stonewalled a clean continuing resolution — every last one of them toeing the line, without a single defection. Even Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who had sided with Republicans earlier in the fight, is now reportedly wavering and could flip in the days ahead. The impasse shows no sign of breaking, and with each passing hour, the stakes grow higher. Yet the question that keeps nagging me is this: Where are the sweeping federal layoffs President Donald Trump warned would come if Democrats refused to act?
Even before Senate Democrats forced a government shutdown, they ignored warnings about looming layoffs. They just shrugged it off, essentially calling Trump’s bluff, all in the name of reopening a loophole that funnels taxpayer dollars to healthcare for illegal immigrants and pouring billions into left-wing pet projects. The message is unmistakable: Democrats think they have all the leverage in this fight.
But they don't.
Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought warned earlier this week that layoffs would begin “one to two days” after federal funding ran out if Senate Democrats refused to act. That warning has yet to bear full force, but the clock is ticking. And the patience of working Americans is wearing thin. Some agencies have already begun some modest reductions, but if Democrats continue to stonewall, the administration needs to make good on its word.
It’s time.
We’ve spent days talking about what a prolonged shutdown would look like. President Trump was blunt and unambiguous when he called the expected firings “Democrat layoffs,” placing the onus squarely on them. Fine, if that’s the case, let’s stop the theater and see it through: show us the cuts, the notices, the consequences. Voters elected a president who vowed to drain the swamp and hold Washington accountable; if Democrats refuse to budge, it’s time for Republican promises to translate into action that makes them sweat. Pull the trigger, let the politics meet real-world stakes, and let the public judge who prioritized power and who put people first.
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I think Democrats believe Trump was bluffing about the layoffs, so if he truly wants Democrats to stop playing games and pass a clean continuing resolution, he should spell out the consequences as plainly as possible and follow through.
Here's what I think he should do: Announce a daily schedule showing exactly how many federal employees the administration will lay off and from where if the deadlock drags on. Make it clear that these are not temporary furloughs. These are permanent cuts: jobs that will never return because Democrats chose ideology and "resistance" over governance. There’s nothing cruel about it; in fact, it’s overdue. Washington’s overgrown bureaucracy has suffocated taxpayers for decades. The shutdown offers a rare opportunity to trim that excess.
The longer Trump hesitates, the more emboldened Democrats become. Washington Republicans have a long history of talking tough and folding under pressure, but Trump isn’t them. This is his moment to act decisively, unapologetically, and immediately. Every day of delay costs federal workers their jobs, plain and simple. Democrats are counting on patience, hoping Republicans will cave first. Enough is enough. It’s time to send a message: The swamp doesn’t get to dictate the terms anymore.
