The White House National Economic Advisor, Kevin Hasett, talks to journalists at West Wing’s entrance into the White House in Washington, DC, USA, August 27, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The director of the National Economic Council of the White House, Kevin Hassett, said Sunday that the dismissals for federal employees will begin if President Donald Trump decides that Congress negotiations to end the government’s closure “are not absolutely anywhere.”
“I think everyone still has the hope that when we have a new beginning at the beginning of the week, that we can make the Democrats see that it is common sense to avoid layoffs like that,” said Hassett in the “state of the union” of CNN.
His comments occur when the government’s closure enters his fifth day, without a clear branch in sight.
Democrats remain based on their medical care demands, pressing to include a permanent extension of fiscal credits greater than premiums in any government financing legislation.
However, Republicans argue that these conversations should occur in December, not as part of government closure negotiations, increasing the confrontation.
Democrats continue to deepen their demands as the closure enters a new week.
The Senate again on Friday did not approve two financing bill that would have finished closing. The Republican measure would have financed the Government at the end of November, while the version of the Democrats included additional medical care financing.
The resolutions previously failed several times in the upper chamber last week.
The Trump administration has repeatedly warned of mass dismissals during a government closure, saying last week that they would be “imminent.”
Trump also said that the closure offered him an “unprecedented opportunity” to reduce the size of federal agencies and fire government workers, although the administration has not yet followed his threat.
Hassett said Sunday that Trump and the Management Office and Budget Director, Russ Vought, are “aligning things and preparing to act if necessary, but hoping that they do not.”
Even so, Hasset expressed optimism that this week’s negotiations could solve the dead end.
“We believe that the Democrats, there is the possibility that they are reasonable once they return to the city on Monday,” said Hasett in CNN.
“And if they are, then I think there is no reason for those layoffs.”
