WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought are scheduled to meet on Thursday to advance the administration’s long-term plan for substantial cuts to non-defense federal agencies. The meeting marks an aggressive push to reduce the size and scope of the federal government independent of the current budget impasse.
The planned meeting, confirmed by sources within the administration, will signal that the White House is using the distraction and relative administrative calm of the partial government shutdown as a strategic opportunity to prepare for sweeping structural reforms. Director Vought is expected to present the President with a menu of options for significant staff reductions and budget cuts aimed at streamlining operations and implementing the administration’s stated goal of “draining the swamp.”
Unlike the immediate budget negotiations centered on border security funding, these proposed cuts are not tied to the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process. Instead, they represent an independent, strategic effort to lay the groundwork for a much smaller federal bureaucracy over the next presidential term. The targets include departments involved in regulatory oversight, social services, and various independent agencies.
The President has publicly and privately voiced his frustration with the size and perceived inefficiency of the federal apparatus, particularly the career civil service. The White House has previously indicated that it views the current absence of a fully operational bureaucratic staff—many of whom are furloughed—as a favorable moment to plan and prepare for these structural changes without the usual level of internal and external scrutiny.
A Separate Agenda: Reducing Personnel and Spending
The discussion with Vought will focus specifically on cuts designed to fundamentally alter how the government functions, moving beyond mere budgetary trims to achieving deep personnel reductions. This plan echoes previous attempts by the administration to create a “Schedule F” classification, which would have reclassified thousands of policy-focused civil service jobs as “at-will,” making dismissals easier. Though that effort was halted, the current approach is seen by critics as an administrative end-run around civil service protections.
Reducing the federal workforce is a perennial goal for conservative administrations, but the scale and timing of this effort are notable. The administration is reportedly studying which non-essential functions could be consolidated, privatized, or entirely eliminated. Agencies overseeing environmental protection, research grants, and certain cultural programs are reportedly under review for the most extensive restructuring.
Watchdogs and Experts Express Alarm
The timing of these discussions—amidst a government shutdown that has already seen hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed or working without pay—has drawn immediate scrutiny from government transparency organizations and former officials.
Former OMB Deputy Director Maria Jimenez, now a budget expert at the non-partisan Brookings Institution, emphasized the risks of planning cuts during a crisis.
“The Office of Management and Budget’s core function during a shutdown is to manage the essential functions of government and prepare for re-opening. To divert senior staff to plan deep, non-essential cuts at this precise moment suggests a clear priority: the politicization of the budget process. These decisions, made outside of the normal appropriations process, risk eroding the non-partisan, expert capabilities that the government relies on for continuity and effective operation.”
Jimenez added that a lack of fully operational staff during the planning phase could result in shortsighted, inefficient cuts that damage critical, long-term government functions.
Long-Term Impact on Government Function
The discussions set for today will set the stage for a potential showdown with Congress next year, regardless of the outcome of the current shutdown. Implementing the level of structural reforms reportedly being sought would require extensive collaboration—or conflict—with the legislative branch, which ultimately holds the power of the purse.
The focus on non-defense agencies is also strategically important. The administration’s approach suggests a prioritization of military and security spending while attempting to severely limit the government’s role in domestic policy, regulation, and social welfare programs. This shift aligns with the President’s longstanding policy platform but promises significant political and legal battles with opposition lawmakers and federal employee unions.
As the government shutdown continues to dominate headlines, the meeting between President Trump and Director Vought serves as a powerful indicator that the administration is viewing the budget crisis not as a temporary setback, but as a strategic window to solidify its vision for a smaller, fundamentally transformed federal government.
