White House says layoffs will start if Trump sees shutdown talks 'going nowhere'

WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) – The Trump administration will start mass layoffs of federal workers if President Donald Trump decides negotiations with congressional Democrats are "absolutely going nowhere," White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said. But Hassett told CNN's "State of the Union" program that he still saw a chance that Democrats would back down, averting a costly shutdown and layoffs. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Leah Douglas; editing by Michelle Nichols)

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