Senator Murray Statement on Trump and Vought Saying They’ve Started More Mass Firings

ICYMI: WSJ - Republicans Caution White House on Inflicting Shutdown Pain

ICYMI: NYT - Year Will End With 300,000 Fewer Federal Workers, Trump Official Says (August 22, 2025)

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on White House Office of Management and Budget Director (OMB) Russ Vought announcing that: "The RIFs have begun."

"Once again, when President Trump and his self-described 'grim reaper' decide to ignore the pleas of congressional Republicans and conduct more mass firings, they are choosing to inflict more pain on the American people.

"No one is making Trump and Vought hurt American workers-they just want to.

"A shutdown does not give Trump or Vought new, special powers to cause more chaos or permanently weaken more basic services for the American people, and the simple fact is this administration has been recklessly firing-and rehiring-essential workers all year. This is nothing new, and no one should be intimidated by these crooks.

"Republican leadership shut down the government because they refuse to even sit down and talk with Democrats about how we keep the government funded and keep health care premiums from more than doubling next year. The way we reopen government is compromise, a simple concept every American understands-and no amount of threats will change that. It's past time President Trump and Republicans get serious about a solution to reopen the government and address exploding health care costs-and join us at the negotiating table."

###