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As federal funding is set to expire in five days, the White House is instructing agencies to prepare for permanent layoffs of federal workers, a significant shift from the typical furloughs seen in past shutdowns.Millions of federal jobs could be at risk as the White House directs agencies to decide which positions should be eliminated if a shutdown occurs. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for the current shutdown showdown, saying, "This is all caused by the Democrats. They asked us to do something that's totally unreasonable. They never change."As the deadline for a government shutdown approaches, an Office of Management and Budget memo directs agencies to consider issuing permanent layoff notices, stating that some programs are not consistent with the president's priorities. Democrats have criticized the move, with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader, stating, "We will not be intimidated by these threats."In previous shutdowns, non-essential workers were sent home without pay but returned with back pay once lawmakers reached a deal. Essential workers, such as TSA and air traffic controllers, continued working without pay. While Social Security, Medicare, and veterans' benefits would continue, services could slow, and national parks, small-business loans, and food safety inspections could stop completely.Doreen P. Greenwald from the National Treasury Employees Union said, "The federal employees want to work. They want to come in every day and do the work they were hired to do. They should not be political pawns in this mess."The political debate centers around a short-term bill passed by House Republicans to keep the government funded, which Senate Democrats are blocking because it does not restore health care funding cut in the president's earlier spending package. Democrats argue that these cuts severely impact programs like Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies, while Republicans and the White House insist their plan is a clean extension and accuse Democrats of playing politics.