NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2025/02/19: Federal workers and protestors speak out against U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, who is leading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and their push to gut federal services and impose mass layoffs. Protests have spread in cities across the nation against the Trump administration's freezing of federal funds, mass layoffs, and a disregard of union contracts. (Photo by Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Washington D.C. – White House officials are in the process of reviewing federal agencies’ downsizing plans, a move that is expected to result in the mass firing of thousands of government workers in the coming weeks, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump had set a March 13 deadline for all federal agencies to submit proposals for the second wave of mass layoffs, as part of his broader effort to reshape the federal government. Trump has long criticized the size of the federal workforce, calling it “bloated and inefficient.”
While no formal deadline has been set for the review process, one source said the White House aims to complete it by the end of September. “We’re going to take our time,” the source stated.
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been closely monitoring the review process, though he is not personally reviewing all documents, the second source confirmed. The review itself is being conducted by DOGE, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), with Trump not directly involved, the source added.
“Some of the plans will be sent back because they’ll need more work and details,” the source explained. “Once they are approved, the agencies will go back and handle their RIFs (reduction in force plans).”
To date, DOGE has overseen the termination of more than 100,000 jobs across the 2.3 million-member federal civilian workforce. However, the aggressive cuts have triggered numerous lawsuits, particularly over the firing of probationary employees, the abrupt closure of certain federal agencies, and concerns about DOGE staffers being given access to sensitive government computer systems.
Critics, including labor unions, Democratic lawmakers, and governance experts, argue that Musk’s blunt approach has led to administrative chaos. They claim that some agencies have been forced to rehire workers after hastily terminating them and that the cost-cutting measures have yet to show significant fiscal savings. Detractors also argue that the effort is a strategic move by Trump to dismantle agencies and programs long opposed by the Republican Party.
The full extent of the upcoming layoffs remains uncertain, but early details suggest major reductions across several agencies. The Department of Education had previously announced plans to halve its workforce, while the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is expected to fire approximately 80,000 employees. Both agencies, along with the General Services Administration, have submitted revised workforce reduction plans.
NASA, for instance, is set to cut positions within its diversity, equity, and inclusion program, as well as its Office of Technology, Policy and Strategy, according to one source. Meanwhile, at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the second round of layoffs will reportedly target employees in records management and laboratory safety.
As the White House review continues, uncertainty looms over thousands of federal employees who may soon face job losses in one of the largest government downsizing efforts in U.S. history.
