Trump threatens to fire workers amid shutdown; Newsom says shutdown has halted critical wildfire programs in peak fire season

Healthcare premiums will double for millions of Americans if Republicans don’t renew subsidies

By Alexander J. Schorr

Photo: Cedar Fire in October, 2003 burned over 276,000 acres, destroyed 2,232 homes and killed 15 people.  October is peak wildfire season in our region, yet the shutdown threatens wildfire preparedness and disaster relief.

October 2, 2025— The US federal government has shut down after Republican and Democratic lawmakers failed to resolve a budget stand-still. The political impasse is expected to put 40% of the federal workforce— about 750,000 people— on unpaid leave. Please follow live updates as to the status of the governmental closure at this time.

President Donald Trump has threatened to fire federal workers amid the latest government shutdown after a failure to resolve and pass short-term funding bills. Despite holding a Republican Majority throughout the branches of government, Trump blasted Democrats, saying that “We can do things during a shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible.” He went on to say that would entail “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.

There is no requirement to fire any federal workers due the shutdown, NPR reports. The last time the government shut down, during Trump’s first term as president, workers were temporarily furloughed.

Healthcare premium spikes and other shutdown impacts

Shutdowns occur when Congress does not pass the necessary appropriations bills to fund agencies’ operations, and during them, federal employees are impacted in oftentimes severe ways. Civil servants are unable to do their jobs and provide vital public benefits, conduct scientific research, manage the economy, or address national security challenges, as well as much more. Civil servants cannot be paid if the needed appropriations have not been passed, and so some federal employees must continue to work without pay for the duration of a shutdown while many others may be furloughed until new appropriations bills are approved.

Federal employees fall under three categories: those who are financed through means other than annual appropriations and so continue to work and be paid, those who are furloughed, and those who continue to work without pay.

When the federal government shuts down, thousands of federal employees are furloughed while their work is put on hold. These tens of thousands of public servants, such as aviation workers, Transportation Security Officers, civilian mariners, and rail safety inspectors are forced to work without timely pay, all while some government contractors will be working without the guarantee that they will ever receive the payment that they are owed.

A shutdown reduces federal safety oversights, strains airport security, and delays vital infrastructure planning projects like road repair and housing projects. In just one week of a shutdown, impacts on tourism and travel could cost the economy $1 billion, according to the US Travel Association. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration's longer term safety initiatives, including policy work to prevent foodborne illness, will be halted, and the National Park Service will stop collecting trash or continue road repairs.

Due to the disruption and lack of productivity, health care costs for everyone— including those with employer-based coverage and those who purchased insurance through the ACA marketplace. This coincides with the Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts and the failure to extend the ACA tax credits for families, as well as forcing hospitals and clinics to absorb billions of unpaid costs as millions lose coverage.

A new analysis shows that if President Trump and Republicans do not extend the current support provided that is set to expire at the end of the year— as Democrats are asking for— California would expect to see an average premium cost among those enrolled with financial assistance to increase by 97%.

Presently, insurance premiums will spike by 114% for some 22 million people. Additionally, 179 million people with employer-based insurance could be forced to pay $485 more per person per year, which is a nearly $2,000 a year price hike for a family of four. The disruption to government operations, under the present administration, will destroy 130,000 health care jobs, as well as those usurped by Medicaid cuts— totaling 607,000 health care jobs.

How long will shutdown last?

It is not clear how long this shutdown will last: the Committee for a Responsible Budget, a nonpartisan organization, reported that the longest-lasting shutdown, also under President Trump, was 35 days (December 2028 to January 2019). There have been funding gaps, as defined by when funds were not appropriated for at least one day— that lasted three days or fewer.

The Trump administration has already eliminated a significant number of federal employees, and these additional staffing reductions continue to undermine critical government services. The President's threat to fire federal workers instead of furloughing them would have severe impacts, with the livelihoods of civil servants and their families being leveraged as potential political bargaining chips.

Republicans control the White and both chambers of Congress, and they can end the shutdown at any time.

Fire danger, disaster relief impacted

According to Governor Gavin Newsom, “Communities across our state are less safe because of Trump’s government shutdown. Thanks to Donald Trump. Critical wildfire preparedness and disaster recovery programs are on pause. This can’t go on— Republicans need to act to end this shutdown.”

By extension, The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a lawsuit back in September 30th challenging the Trump administration’s threat of mass firings, stating that it was designed to “inflict punishment on, and further traumatize, federal employees throughout the nation.” The White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt illustrated that the White House had shown no signs of backing away from its plan, stating that “layoffs were imminent.”

The National Weather Service continued to issue its vital forecasts and weather warnings, but long-term climate research and upgrades to forecasting tools will ultimately be suspended or at the very least delayed— at a time when California is enduring extensive weather extremes. With the necessary administrative and planning staff sidelined, the state’s progress on prevention will be delayed and make the state more vulnerable to natural disasters like flooding and wildfires.

Layoffs loom as politicians cast blame

California is now in federal government shutdown mode, which will result in understaffed parks, longer lines at airports, and politicians casting blame. 

“Everyone knows the Democrats shut down the government,” Republican Representative Darrell Issa (CA-48) said in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

California  Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat, posted on Facebook, "Republicans have control of Congress and the White House. But rather than negotiate with Democrats, Republicans have sent the House of Representatives home, canceled planned White House meetings until the eleventh hour...and posted a racist AI video of Democratic leaders trying to avoid a shutdown. Health care costs are soaring for Americans across the country as a direct result of the Trump Administration’s policies. Republicans funneled trillions of dollars into tax breaks for billionaires, but now they claim they can’t find the money to make life a little more affordable for working families. Because of their cruelty, more than 20 million Americans — including 1.7 million Californians — could be priced out of their insurance plans ahead of open enrollment next month."

Governor Gavin Newsom, in a post on X, chided Trump for continuing construction on a ballroom addition to the White House even as others are suffering during the shutdown, likening the President to the infamous French queen who famously said when told that peasants had no bread, "Let them eat cake."

Newsom's post, accompanied by the image at right, states, "TRUMP “MARIE ANTOINETTE” SAYS, “NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU PEASANTS, BUT A BALLROOM FOR THE QUEEN!”

Russell Vought, the Director of the US Office of Management and Budget, has suggested to House Republicans that in a private call, Trump will start firing federal workers in mass “in a day or two” if the shutdown continues. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget directed agencies to consider extensive employee layoffs in unfunded ties” under the shutdown.