{"id":2036,"date":"2025-10-16T22:30:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T22:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=2036"},"modified":"2025-10-16T22:30:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T22:30:26","slug":"government-shutdown-latest-judge-blocks-mass-layoffs-senate-rejects-spending-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=2036","title":{"rendered":"Government shutdown latest; judge blocks mass layoffs; Senate rejects spending deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor’s note: For coverage Thursday, Oct. 16, of the government shutdown,\u00a0click here.<\/em><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u2013 A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s mass layoffs as the government shutdown drags on, pausing the job cuts for thousands of American workers.<\/p>\n

U.S. District\u00a0Judge\u00a0Susan Illston granted a request by two unions to stop layoffs at more than 30 agencies. She said President\u00a0Donald Trump and his top aides have made several comments showing explicit political motivations for the layoffs, such as Trump saying that cuts would target “Democrat agencies.”<\/p>\n

“You can’t do that in a nation of laws. And we have laws here, and the things that are being articulated here are not within the law,” said Illston, an appointee of Democratic former President Bill Clinton.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Senate on Wednesday rejected a GOP-backed spending bill for the ninth time. The legislation would have extended government funding until Nov. 21.<\/p>\n

But Democrats continue to demand additional\u00a0health care funding\u00a0to overturn Medicaid cuts and extend tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0longest previous shutdown\u00a0lasted 35 days\u00a0between December 2018 and January 2019, during Trump\u2019s first term. House Speaker\u00a0Mike Johnson,\u00a0R-Louisiana, warned that \u201cwe’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history unless Democrats drop their partisan demands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow here for the latest updates on the shutdown:<\/p>\n

FBI agents will get paychecks during shutdown, director says<\/h2>\n

FBI Director\u00a0Kash Patel said during a Wednesday White House event that FBI special agents will be paid during the shutdown.<\/p>\n

The announcement comes after Trump said military service members also will continue to receive paychecks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got the people that we want paid paid, and we want the FBI paid, we want the military paid,\u201d Trump told reporters.<\/p>\n

Thousands of federal workers, including other law enforcement professionals such as the Capitol Police, have begun missing paychecks as the shutdown continues.<\/p>\n

Are Social Security payments still going out during shutdown?<\/h2>\n

Yes, Social Security payments, including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and benefits for retirement, disability and survivors, continue during a government shutdown.<\/p>\n

Because Social Security benefit programs are\u00a0considered mandatory spending\u00a0by law, they are not impacted by the lapse in funding appropriations. Payments are still distributed on a regular schedule during the shutdown.<\/p>\n

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See the impact of the government shutdown as agencies shutter or fight to stay open<\/h2>\n
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People wait in line to enter the Federal Building in Los Angeles, California on October 1, 2025, where services are experiencing significant disruptions due to the federal government shutdown, as essential workers continue working without pay and non-essential federal workers are furloughed.
\nWith the government out of money after President Donald Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, many federal departments and agencies have been closed since midnight. See what remains open and what has closed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Trump administration issues warning about SNAP benefits<\/h2>\n

The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned that there will not be enough funding to pay the entirety of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November if the shutdown doesn’t end.<\/p>\n

“If the current lapse in appropriations continues, there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation,” reads a USSA letter to state agencies dated Oct. 10.<\/p>\n

The letter was signed by SNAP development director Sasha Gersten-Paal and provided to USA TODAY by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n

State health officials across the country, including in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Minnesota, have begun warning recipients of the possible lack of funds for November.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Melina Khan and Mary Walrath-Hodridge<\/em><\/p>\n

Did the military get paid on Oct. 15? What to know amid shutdown.<\/h2>\n

After two weeks of uncertainty about getting a paycheck during the\u00a0federal government shutdown, the Department of Defense paid active-duty military members on Wednesday, Oct. 15.<\/p>\n

The division includes roughly 1.2 million active-duty members and National Guard and Reserve members.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0shutdown\u00a0entered its 15th day on Oct. 15 with no visible signs of a budget deal between Democrats and Republicans.<\/p>\n

Service members remained on duty despite the shutdown as their work is deemed essential for national security.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Natalie Neysa Alund<\/em><\/p>\n

White House plans to fire more than 10,000 federal workers during shutdown, Vought says<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Trump administration expects to lay off more than 10,000 federal workers during the government shutdown, according to Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ll probably end up being north of 10,000,\u201d Vought said on Wednesday in an interview on the \u201cThe Charlie Kirk Show,\u201d the podcast of the late conservative activist.<\/p>\n

Vought also singled out certain government programs that could be cut. \u201cThink of \u2018Green New Deal\u2019 programs at the Department of Energy. Think the Minority Business Development Agency at Commerce that divvies up grants on the basis of race. Think environmental justice at EPA,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Trump aide made his comments before a federal judge in California signaled she would likely halt the administration\u2019s layoffs and rule on the side of the plaintiffs in a case brought by labor unions.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration began laying off federal workers\u00a0amid the shutdown last Friday after repeated threats from Trump.\u00a0In all, about 4,000 federal workers were fired during this initial wave of layoffs, but the OMB said Monday it will \u201ccontinue the RIFs,\u201d or reductions in force during the shutdown.<\/p>\n

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Travelers face flight delays amid FAA staff shortages, government shutdown<\/h2>\n
Planes line up on the runway to depart from San Francisco International Airport on Oct. 8, 2025 in San Francisco. For a third straight day, flight delays are being seen across the country as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is experiencing continued airport staffing shortages due to the government shutdown.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

‘Democracy’ ice sculpture melts in DC<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A 3,000-pound ice sculpture of the word “democracy”\u00a0is slowly melting away\u00a0near the Capitol today.<\/p>\n

Artists developed the project for the national\u00a0Up in Arms campaign, led by Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. They want to draw attention to what they called a “rise of authoritarianism and militarism at the expense of democracy and the American dream,” according to a press release from organizers.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Rachel Barber<\/em><\/p>\n

Speaker Johnson says Trump\u2019s move to pay military is only a \u2018temporary fix\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n

House Speaker\u00a0Mike Johnson\u00a0said Trump\u2019s action this week to ensure active-duty military member received their paychecks Wednesday is only a \u201ctemporary fix.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Republican speaker warned Democrats the nation\u2019s 1.3 million active-duty troops could miss their next paychecks on Oct. 31 if the government isn\u2019t reopened.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe executive department\u2019s help is not permanent \u2013 it can\u2019t be,\u201d Johnson said at a news conference alongside other House Republicans.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if the Democrats continue to vote to keep the government closed, as they have done so now so many times, then we know that U.S. troops are going to risk missing a full paycheck at the end of this month,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

With military members at risk of losing Wednesday\u2019s paychecks, Trump over the weekend announced he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use \u201call available funds\u201d to ensure troops were paid. The administration had the Pentagon tweak its budget to ensure troops were paid, while other government employees who perform critical services have worked without pay during the shutdown.<\/p>\n

7 things to watch for signs of a shutdown end<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There are many questions about how to get out of the seemingly intractable government shutdown. But there’s no clear answer.<\/p>\n

At some point, a number of variables in the shutdown equation could start to change, possibly creating a path for enough lawmaker votes to reopen the government. Federal workforce layoffs may worsen, as the White House has threatened. Bipartisan back-channeling among senators could turn up a compromise on the biggest sticking points.<\/p>\n

Here are seven things to keep an eye on:<\/p>\n

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  1. Possible breakthroughs in Obamacare negotiations<\/li>\n
  2. What Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is saying<\/li>\n
  3. What moderate and retiring Democrats are saying<\/li>\n
  4. What President Trump is saying<\/li>\n
  5. Federal layoffs worsening<\/li>\n
  6. Potential disruptions in military pay<\/li>\n
  7. The overall pain the shutdown is causing Americans<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    The U.S. Capitol dome on the fourth day of a partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 4, 2025. REUTERS\/Anna Rose Layden<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries agree to shutdown debate on C-SPAN<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries have agreed to appear together on C-SPAN to debate the federal government shutdown.<\/p>\n

    The network\u00a0singled out their commitments in a press statement\u00a0that pointed to recent public statements from both Johnson and Jeffries.<\/p>\n

    No date has been set for a joint appearance. According to C-SPAN, the respective leaders have agreed to jointly appear on C-SPAN\u2019s new show \u201cCeasefire,\u201d hosted by Politico Washington Bureau Chief Dasha Burns.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI\u2019ll sit down with Hakeem Jeffries, my counterpart. I\u2019d love to,\u201d Johnson told C-SPAN on Oct. 9, when the speaker fielded questions about the shutdown from callers during a solo appearance on C-SPAN.<\/p>\n

    Jeffries on Tuesday told reporters that he accepts Johnson\u2019s challenge and looks forward to debating him. \u201cWe\u2019re going to try to get it scheduled, absolutely,\u201d Jeffries told a group of reporters,\u00a0according to The Hill.<\/p>\n

    Cantwell calls for investigation of DHS shutdown videos at airports<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the transportation committee, demanded an investigation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for\u00a0providing what she called \u201cpartisan video\u201d\u00a0about the shutdown to airports across the country.<\/p>\n

    Cantwell of Washington alleged a violation of the Hatch Act, which limits political activities by federal employees. She urged Jamieson Greer, who serves as acting head of the Office of Special Counsel, to investigate the video playing at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints that blames \u201cDemocrats in Congress\u201d for the government shutdown and for TSA employees \u201cworking without pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cThis message is not just false; it appears to violate the prohibitions contained in the Hatch Act,\u201d Cantwell wrote in a letter to Greer.<\/p>\n

    Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said \u201cit is a simple statement of fact that Democrats in Congress refuse to fund the federal government, and because of this, most of our TSA employees are working without pay.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate our workforce has been put in this position due to political gamesmanship,\u201d McLaughlin added.<\/p>\n

    At least six airports refused to play the video\u00a0in Charlotte, North Carolina; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Indianapolis, Indiana and Des Moines, Iowa.<\/p>\n

    Senate moves forward with full-year defense spending bill<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    With the shutdown dragging on, congressional Republicans are trying something new to attempt to fund parts of the government.<\/p>\n

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has slated a procedural vote Thursday for a full-year defense spending bill. It’s part of a fresh strategy to force Democrats, who largely want to see the bipartisan appropriations process continue on pace, into an awkward position.<\/p>\n

    Congress often keeps the government open by passing short-term funding measures, something Thune has said he wants to change, and for which there’s bipartisan support. Even as the shutdown has continued, rank-and-file lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been working to draft full-year appropriations bills.<\/p>\n

    Asked Wednesday about whether any larger off-ramp to the shutdown is in the works, Thune\u00a0told reporters\u00a0it’s possible, but said he expects Democrats to hold out until at least after this Saturday, Oct. 18, when\u00a0historic turnout is expected\u00a0for nationwide protests against the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

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    President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during lunch with Argentina\u2019s President Javier Milei (not pictured) in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 14, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Government shutdown could cost US economy $15 billion a day, Bessent says<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the federal government shutdown could soon cost the United States economy $15 billion a day as he called for moderate Senate Democrats to \u201cbe heroes\u201d by joining Republicans to reopen the government.<\/p>\n

    \u201cBe heroes,\u201d Bessent said at a Wednesday morning news conference. \u201cBreak away from the hive of radicalism and do something for the American people because we are starting to cut into muscle here.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Republicans control the House, Senate and White House. But Republicans need 60 votes in the Senate to avoid a filibuster to pass a funding bill \u2013 something they\u2019ve been unable to achieve in multiple votes on a bill to fund the government through Nov. 21.<\/p>\n

    Bessent accused \u201cthe mainstream media\u201d of not focusing on Democrats \u201cthe way they would have if the Republicans were willing to keep the government closed.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Democrats have demanded the reversal of Republicans\u2019 recent cuts to Medicaid and the extension of expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies be included in any funding measure.<\/p>\n

    Echoing other Republicans, Bessent suggested Democrats want to keep the government closed through the upcoming nationwide \u201cNo Kings\u201d protest, set for Oct. 18<\/p>\n

    \u201cI believe that the Democrats will come to their senses soon,\u201d Bessent said. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s after this \u2018No Kings\u2019 thing. But \u2018No Kings\u2019 equal no paychecks.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Capitol Police miss paycheck amid shutdown<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    As congressional leaders continue their standoff over legislation to fund the government, the federal workers protecting them are going without pay.<\/p>\n

    The head of the Capitol Police Union called on lawmakers to end the shutdown in an Oct. 14 statement that notes officers missed their first full paychecks Oct. 10.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThe longer the shutdown drags on, the harder it becomes for my officers,\u201d Capitol Police Union Chairman Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement. \u201cBanks and landlords do not give my officers a pass because we are in shutdown \u2013 they still expect to be paid.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Military service members also were set to miss a paycheck on Oct. 15, but Trump said on Oct. 11 that he authorized the Department of Defense to tap \u201cidentified funds\u201d for military pay.<\/p>\n

    Senate to vote again at 2:15 p.m. to reopen the government<\/h2>\n

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, set up the 10th vote to approve House legislation that would reopen the government until Nov. 21 but without any hope of passage.<\/p>\n

    The last vote Oct. 14 failed 49-45 with six senators absent. Three senators who caucus with Democrats have joined Republicans in voting to end the shutdown but they need another five to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to cut off debate.<\/p>\n

    GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has opposed the measure.<\/p>\n

    Trump to release list of programs closed in shutdown<\/h2>\n

    Trump said he would release a list Oct. 17 of programs he has eliminated as part of the continuing shutdown.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe are closing up Democrat programs that we disagree with and they\u2019re never going to open up again,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

    Trump argued Democrats are suffering under the shutdown because he is able to lay off workers and eliminate programs that would otherwise continue.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe\u2019re able to do things that we\u2019ve never been able to do before,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThe Democrats are getting killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

    OMB prepares to ‘ride out the Democrats’ intransigence’<\/h2>\n

    The White House Office of Management and Budget\u00a0announced Oct. 14 on social media\u00a0it was preparing for more layoffs.<\/p>\n

    \u201cOMB is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats\u2019 intransigence,\u201d the post said. \u201cPay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, holds a press conference on the fourteenth day of the U.S. government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 14, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Jeffries: Democrats committed to fixing GOP ‘health care crisis’<\/h2>\n

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York,\u00a0told reporters Oct. 14\u00a0that congressional Democrats \u201cremain committed to finding a bipartisan path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cTo reopen the government, enact a spending agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people and addresses the Republican health care crisis,\u201d Jeffries said.<\/p>\n

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    House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks during a press conference on the thirteenth day of the U.S. government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 13, 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Johnson on Democrats: ‘They’re playing a game’<\/h2>\n

    House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana,\u00a0told reporters Oct. 14\u00a0he has nothing to negotiate because Republicans put no special policy provisions in the legislation to reopen the government until Nov. 21. He said negotiations over health care costs could be held after the government reopens.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t have anything that I can take off that document and make it more palatable,” Johnson said. \u201cWe\u2019re not playing games. They\u2019re playing a game.”<\/p>\n

    This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:\u00a0Government shutdown latest; what to know about layoffs, Senate vote<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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