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.