Summary
- White
House retracts Trump’s claim of current federal layoffs. - Trump
previously said government employees were being laid off “right
now.” - Officials
warn layoffs could occur if shutdown continues.
The Trump administration was threatening mass firings on the
sixth day of the shutdown, but none seemed imminent. Although hundreds of
thousands are usually ordered not to work, the government has not had to
terminate any employees during previous shutdowns.
On Sunday night, Trump claimed that layoffs were happening
“right now,” while White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
claimed on Monday that he had been referring to people who were on furlough
ever since Congress permitted funding to expire on October 1.
The White House budget office “is continuing to work
with agencies on who, unfortunately, is going to have to be laid off if this shutdown
continues,” she stated during a press conference.
Monday’s partial shutdown, the 15th since 1981, matched the
six-day duration of a 1995 shutdown and tied for the fourth-longest in U.S.
history. During Trump’s first term in office in 2018–2019, the longest shutdown
lasted 35 days.
Other government operations came to a complete stop, but
border guards, airport security screeners, and other “essential”
workers continued to work unpaid. On Monday morning, there were just four
entries in the Federal Register, which normally publishes over 100 proposed
regulations and other notices every day.
Next week, when 1.3 million soldiers and other military
employees are scheduled
to miss their paychecks for the first time since the shutdown started, pressure
to end the deadlock may increase.
Another factor might be air travel. Since the shutdown
started, more of the 13,000 air traffic controllers in the country have been
reporting absenteeism, which might cause delays in flights, according to
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Following an increase in controller and
airport security screener absences, lawmakers ended the previous shutdown in
2019.
The Republican financing package has been rejected four
times by Senate Democrats, who are calling for a permanent extension of federal
subsidies to help Americans afford health insurance under the Affordable Care
Act.
In order to pass funding legislation, Republican leaders
must get the backing of at least eight Democrats. To date, however, just two
Democrats have crossed the aisle, along with an independent who shares their
caucus.
How many federal employees could lose pay during the
shutdown?
About 900,000 federal employees are expected to be
furloughed (placed on unpaid leave) and another 700,000 employees might work
without pay during the 2025 U.S. federal government shutdown. This indicates
that about 1.6 million federal employees may temporarily lose pay as a result
of the shutdown.
Furloughed employees will not receive another paycheck until
the government reopens; however, the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of
2019 guarantees back pay once the shutdown ends.
Essential employees, including air traffic controllers,
border security, and law enforcement personnel will continue to work without
pay during the shutdown.
