Rep. Grothman Wants To Lay Off Up to 200,000 Federal Employees

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman speaks Saturday, May 17, 2025, during the Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention in Rothschild, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

As Congress remains deadlocked on a funding agreement to reopen many federal services, Wisconsin GOP Rep. Glenn Grothman says it’s time to permanently lay off thousands of government employees to reduce spending.

“I would certainly hope that President Trump would step up and let go — certainly in the Department of Defense, probably other departments, as well — find (100,000) or 200,000 jobs that are not necessary,” he said on WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.”

The federal government employs about 2 million people, about 18,000 of which are in Wisconsin. The White House has signaled thousands of government layoffs could begin as soon as Friday as a result of the shutdown.

Grothman said regardless of the shutdown, the federal workforce should be reduced to cut spending.

“A lot of these people are not working very hard at all,” he said. “To keep hiring people, many with over six-figure salaries when they aren’t working that hard, that’s just irresponsible.”

Grothman also talked with “Wisconsin Today” about negotiating the government shutdown. Last month, House Republicans passed a short-term spending plan that failed to advance through the Senate.

The Senate is expected to vote on a revised plan Friday, although media reports indicate Democrats and Republicans have come to little agreement and the shutdown is expected to continue.

This conversation was edited for clarity and brevity. 

Kate Archer Kent: The White House is warning of mass layoffs of federal workers as result of the shutdown, in the thousands. Here in Wisconsin, there are about 18,000 civilian federal workers. Are permanent layoffs an appropriate response to the shutdown?

Rep. Glenn Grothman: Well, we have too many people working in the government right now. Let’s say in the Department of Defense itself, we have over 700,000 employees who are not uniformed, people sitting in cubicles on a computer.

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence out there that these people aren’t working that hard. So I think whether or not there’s a shutdown is irrelevant. We should not be hiring people who are unnecessary.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin urges the president and House speaker to negotiate as government shutdown continues

KAK: Health Care policy is at the heart of this fight, and Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for this Republican short-term funding bill that did not include an extension of enhanced premium tax credits. In Wisconsin, more than 313,000 people would be affected if the credits expire. Should Senate Republicans compromise here and negotiate a temporary extension for the health care subsidies now? 

GG: I’m sure they’re negotiating. Like I said in the past, when we do our appropriation bills, it is not unusual for the two parties to negotiate at the end of the year. Negotiate all September, negotiate all October, negotiate all November. That’s just not unusual. I don’t know why this time we have to settle everything.

KAK: Let’s talk about the economy. The 2018 to 2019 shutdown that lasted 35 days. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that shutdown reduced economic output by about $11 billion, including $3 billion that it never regained. You serve on the House Budget Committee. Are you concerned about how the shutdown could impact our economy?

GG: Yes, but maybe it will bring attention to people working who aren’t necessary. And like I said, we passed a bill. We want to do what’s been done since time immemorial, keep the government funded while we negotiate next year’s appropriation bill.

What does a government shutdown mean for Wisconsin?

KAK: Shutdowns damage people’s lives. What will you do to help repair the lives and make Wisconsinites whole who have been affected by the shutdown?GG: I don’t think it’s going to be as big an impact as people say. All the big federal programs, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, they all continue on as before. There are people who are going to get a delayed paycheck but they’re still going to get their paycheck. Actually on something, that seems a little ridiculous. I felt they changed the rule a couple of years ago where, if you are not working, say you don’t work for a month, you get paid for that month anyway. So there are a lot of federal employees (who are) going to come out ahead of the game.

Listen to the WPR report

Wisconsin GOP Rep. Glenn Grothman: Lay off 100K to 200K federal workers was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.