Federal workers brace for mass layoffs and program closures as Trump raises the stakes in a high-stakes shutdown showdown. US President Donald Trump warns congressional Democrats that his administration would take “irreversible” actions if they allow government funding to expire at midnight, including mass firings of federal workers. Up next was a Republican-backed bill that would extend government funding without the healthcare fix, which was also expected to fail. At issue now is $US1.7 trillion ($A2.6 trillion) that funds agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of the government’s total $US7 trillion ($A10.6 trillion) budget. Trump’s threat to fire more federal workers or entirely eliminate some programs could deepen the chaos.