Budget office says layoffs of federal workers have begun

WASHINGTON — The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started, an attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown dragged into a 10th day.

What You Need To Know • Mass layoffs of federal workers have begun • That was the announcement Friday from the White House as Republicans worked to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers to end the government shutdown • In a court filing, the budget office said the positions of well over 4,000 employees would be cut, though it noted that the funding situation was "fluid and rapidly evolving" • Democrats blasted the move as unions for federal workers quickly took the matter to court

Russ Vought, the director of the Office