Overview

• President Donald Trump said he would meet OMB Director Russ Vought to decide which agencies he might cut temporarily or permanently, calling the shutdown an “unprecedented opportunity.”
• Vought announced freezes on roughly $18 billion for New York infrastructure and nearly $8 billion for climate projects across 16 states, all listed as Democratic-leaning in recent elections.
• An OMB memo directed agencies to weigh Reduction in Force notices for unfunded programs, and the White House said federal layoffs are imminent during the shutdown.
• Budget experts and legal scholars argue the shutdown grants no added authority to permanently lay off staff or rescind appropriated funds, citing limits under the Impoundment Control Act.
• Political fallout is widening as Republicans like Rep. Mike Lawler note the freezes also hit their districts, even as Speaker Mike Johnson defends Trump’s approach and Vice President JD Vance denies partisan targeting.