The White House budget office is instructing federal agencies to prepare reduction-in-force plans for mass firings during a possible U.S. government shutdown, Politico reported on Wednesday.

The Office of Management and Budget is set to send a memo to federal agencies on Wednesday night to prepare to permanently reduce government workforce if there is a shutdown, according to Politico.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

With the Sept. 30 deadline looming, Washington is bracing for the possibility of a federal government shutdown as partisan gridlock stalls efforts to extend funding.

House Republicans recently advanced a stopgap bill to keep the government open through Nov. 21, but the Senate blocked the measure, citing its failure to include Democratic priorities such as funding for health care programs, according to The Washington Post.

Democrats countered with their own proposal to extend operations until Oct. 31 while restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies and Medicaid support, but Republicans dismissed the plan and prevented a vote in the Senate, the Post reported.

The standoff intensified when President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a scheduled meeting with Democrat leaders, calling it pointless and accusing them of being inflexible, the Associated Press reported.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded by saying Republicans bear full responsibility for finding a solution since they control the House, Senate, and White House, according to Politico.

At the same time, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that Democrats will not entertain handshake agreements, insisting that only formal legislation can avert a shutdown, Axios noted.

Meanwhile, federal agencies are preparing for the fallout. The U.S. judiciary has warned it may not be able to sustain full operations past Oct. 3 if funding lapses, which could result in furloughs for court staff even though judges’ salaries are constitutionally protected, Reuters reported.

With no deal in sight and the legislative calendar tightening, the chances of a partial government shutdown are increasing by the day, The Washington Post wrote.

Newsmax contributed to this report.