With the federal government shutdown now in effect, many federal workers and military personnel will soon find themselves without pay. The shutdown began on October 1, and there’s little indication it will be resolved quickly. Just this past Thursday, the Senate turned down a bill aimed at reopening the government, and they won’t convene again until Tuesday.
By Wednesday, October 15, over 1.3 million military members will miss their first paycheck due to the shutdown. Even though they are required to continue fulfilling their duties—considered essential for national security—they will not be compensated during this time.
President Trump mentioned on Thursday that the administration is looking into ways to ensure military personnel continue to get paid despite the shutdown.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson from Louisiana has kept the House away from Capitol deliberations, insisting that Democrats should support a Republican funding proposal to reopen the government and secure funds for military and federal employees. He has ruled out the possibility of reconvening the House to entertain a different bill amid the shutdown.
Last Friday, federal employees did receive their pay, mainly covering work done between September 21 and September 30. However, due to the shutdown starting October 1, they won’t receive any payment for work in October.
Many federal workers have been furloughed and are not currently working, while others, like TSA employees, are still on the job without pay.
Generally, federal employees will be compensated once the shutdown ends, regardless of their working status during the shutdown. In fact, after the previous shutdown, Congress mandated that federal workers would receive their back pay after the government reopened.
However, the Trump administration is suggesting it may withhold payments to some workers following the shutdown. Layoffs began on Friday as well.
A memo from the Office of Management and Budget introduces the debate that furloughed federal employees might not be guaranteed back pay during the shutdown, despite protections offered by the Public Employees Fair Treatment Act of 2019.
This law was enacted during the previous shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019, stating that furloughed federal employees are to receive back pay once appropriations legislation is enacted. The administration is now citing a specific language in that law to justify potential salary withholding.
President Trump indicated that whether furloughed employees will receive back pay could depend on various factors. “I think it depends on who you’re talking about,” he stated Thursday at the White House. “Democrats are putting a lot of people at great risk and danger, but it really depends on who we’re discussing.”
“But for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people,” he added. “Some people really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we manage to assist them in different ways.”
