WASHINGTON —

As federal funding is set to expire in five days , the White House is instructing agencies to prepare for permanent layoffs of federal workers, a significant shift from the typical furloughs seen in past shutdowns.

Millions of federal jobs could be at risk as the White House directs agencies to decide which positions should be eliminated if a shutdown occurs. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the current shutdown showdown, saying, "This is all caused by the Democrats. They asked us to do something that's totally unreasonable. They never change."

As the deadline for a government shutdown approaches, an Office of Management and Budget memo directs agencies to consider issuing permanent layoff notices, stating that some programs are not consistent with the presiden

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