Falls Church, Va. — It’s official. The Trump administration is no longer just talking about “draining the swamp.” On October 10, OMB Director Russ Vought confirmed that federal workers are not being furloughed. They are being fired — permanently Politico.
This is the first visible strike of Project 2025, a sweeping plan to dismantle the federal government, replace career civil servants with political loyalists, and silence oversight agencies that keep Washington in check.
The Shutdown That Became a Purge
In past shutdowns, workers missed paychecks but were guaranteed back pay once funding returned. That lifeline may now be gone. The White House is openly suggesting furloughed employees will never receive back pay AP.
Already, nearly 900,000 federal workers are furloughed and another 700,000 are working without pay Wikipedia.
The Numbers Are Alarming
- Since January 2025, the federal civilian workforce has shrunk by more than 23,000 jobs Reuters.
- The D.C. metro area has lost 14,100 jobs in just five months, a 3.7% decline Richmond Fed.
- Tally so far: 58,500 confirmed cuts, 76,000 buyouts, 149,000 more planned — nearly 12% of the entire civilian workforce Wikipedia.
- Analysts warn the real toll, including contractors, could erase 1.2 million jobs nationwide Atlanta Fed.
Why NOVA Should Be Terrified
Northern Virginia is home to 175,436 federal civilian jobs. That’s 42% of all federal jobs in Virginia NVRC.
Each federal job supports contractors, small businesses, restaurants, housing markets, and local tax bases. Economists estimate that for every federal job lost, 1.5 to 2 private sector jobs also vanish. That multiplier effect means NOVA could see tens of thousands more layoffs by year’s end if Project 2025 continues.
The Blueprint: Project 2025
Project 2025 is not a rumor. It is a published plan backed by conservative think tanks and pushed by Vought himself Time. It calls for:
- Replacing career civil servants with political appointees under “Schedule F.”
- Shutting down oversight bodies like the Government Accountability Office Axios.
- Eliminating Inspectors General and whistleblower channels House Oversight Democrats.
- Cutting safety-net programs like Medicaid and SNAP Guardian.
Russ Vought has already said federal workers should wake up in “trauma” so they would not want to go to work Daily Beast. That chilling statement is no longer hypothetical.
The Stakes for Democracy
This is bigger than budget fights. By firing workers during a shutdown, stripping oversight, and politicizing hiring, the administration is testing whether the executive branch can rewrite government without Congress. If successful, it sets a precedent that future presidents could use shutdowns to purge agencies and install loyalists.
For Northern Virginia, the fallout is not theoretical. Families, contractors, and local governments are already feeling the hit. Mortgage payments are at risk, restaurants are losing customers, and businesses are cutting back.
Project 2025 is no longer a think tank exercise. It is happening now, and its first victims are here in NOVA.
