The image shows how agencies are attempting to fulfill Trump’s directive to reduce government, even as officials emphasized that the figures were susceptible to change.
According to an internal White House document obtained by The Washington Post, which includes closely held draft plans for restructuring the 2.3-million-person bureaucracy, federal officials are planning for agencies to lay off between 8 and 50 % of their workforce as part of a Trump administration push to reduce the size of the federal government.
According to two people familiar with the paper who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss it, the information is derived from plans that President Donald Trump asked agencies to submit. The figures, which have not been made public, hint to what may come next for Trump’s initiatives that he claims will increase government accountability but that have also disrupted agency operations and led to judicial restraining orders.
Information in certain categories is missing from the publication, which covers 22 agencies. Numerous individuals with knowledge of the paper emphasized that planning is still subject to change and that the figures may not accurately represent what agencies would finally reduce.
However, it suggests that the extent of the government’s activity will probably be significantly impacted by widespread workforce reductions. For instance, the report states that the IRS would slash almost one in three employees, the Interior Department would lay off almost one in four of its employees when Trump assumed office, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development would reduce half of its approximately 8,300 employees.
Government Actions
The Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing waste, fraud, and abuse as well as the size of the federal bureaucracy is well known. In an email, White House senior deputy press secretary Harrison Fields stated, “This document is a pre-deliberative draft and does not accurately reflect final reduction in force plans.” “President Trump’s Cabinet Secretaries will notify their respective workforces at the appropriate time when they are prepared to announce plans for force reductions.”
Trump and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk have stated time and time again that they want to reduce the size of government and reduce corruption, waste, and fraud, but they haven’t been clear about how this may impact services. Trump has stated that, with a few exceptions, like the US Postal Service and White House employees, agencies should reduce their operations to the bare minimum mandated by law.
Tuesday was the most recent update to the document that The Post was able to get. In an executive order issued on February 11, Trump directed the Office of Management and Budget to collaborate with Musk and the U.S. DOGE Service to reduce the staff. Earlier this month, the budget office and the government’s human resources division, the Office of Personnel Management, were expected to receive agency chiefs’ plans for achieving this objective. By mid-April, plans for reorganization and additional personnel reductions must be finalized.
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