The White House told federal agencies to submit plans by March 13 for “large-scale reductions in force,” the first phase of an effort to drastically reduce the size of the US government.

The White House is directing federal agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs, so-called reductions-in-force (RIF), according to guidance sent out by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management on Wednesday.

After weeks of refusing to answer the question, the White House on Tuesday revealed the identity of the Department of Government Efficiency's acting administrator, a little known former healthcare technology consultant named Amy Gleason.

Amy Gleason is the acting administrator of the US DOGE Service, the agency that houses the temporary Department of Government Efficiency, a White House official told CNN on Tuesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dodges a reporter’s question on who the DOGE administrator is, and instead said Elon Musk is overseeing the efforts.