Democratic congressional leaders are dismissing a threat from the White House budget office to fire masses of federal workers during a government shutdown, saying they will not be intimidated into caving on their demands for talks on extending health care subsidies.

Despite a White House directive on further RIFs, some questioned the ability for agencies to put together those plans just days before a government shutdown.

Federal courts have ordered the Office of Management and Budget to publish information about how agency funding is disbursed, but Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington contends that officials are using footnotes to obfuscate disclosure.

Join PBS News Weekend Anchor John Yang as he hosts a panel at the Miller Center at University of Virginia exploring the relationship between the White House and the Office of Management and Budget. The stream begins at 9:15 a.