The White House hints at widespread layoffs as the government shutdown continues

The White House announced on Friday that the ongoing government shutdown has led to the beginning of layoffs of "large numbers" of federal employees, in a move that has sparked widespread controversy in Washington.

However, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt later clarified that what is happening is not considered "permanent layoffs," but rather concerns employees who have been placed on temporary unpaid leave since government funding stopped at the beginning of October, emphasizing that the budget office is coordinating with federal agencies to determine the next steps if the political deadlock continues.

This development comes amid the Senate's fifth failure to pass any of the temporary funding proposals, amidst sharp disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over the budget and healthcare, threatening to prolong the crisis and its impact on hundreds of thousands of employees and millions of Americans who rely on government services.