Shutdown Enters 10th Day with Little Hope of Resolution
The government shutdown will almost certainly last into next week as Congress breaks for the weekend. What does this mean for crucial operations around the country and paychecks for federal employees? Read on for the latest details as the shutdown enters its tenth day on Friday.
Latest Update on the Showdown on Capitol Hill
Congress is deadlocked in its negotiations for a funding plan for the government as the work week comes to a close. The Senate is not scheduled to hold any votes until at least Tuesday, meaning that the stalemate is likely to continue. A session that concluded late Thursday signaled little promise in the ongoing negotiations.
House Speaker Mike Johnson fired back at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday, accusing the Democrat from New York of acquiescing to the demands of the far left. Both parties are digging in their heels about the details of the funding bill. Democrats are largely refusing to vote for the bill without the inclusion of the enhanced subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These subsidies are currently set to expire at the end of the year, sending healthcare premiums higher for millions of Americans.
Johnson accused Schumer of being the "architect of this showdown" in his comments to the media. On his end, Schumer believes that his party has the momentum, as the GOP scrambles to get on the same page with its messaging. For example, GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley criticized Johnson for not conducting any House sessions for two weeks.
Schumer confirmed earlier in the week that he has not had any discussions with the Trump administration since last week. The lack of movement between the two parties is indicative of the stalemate surrounding the negotiations.
All of this is happening on Capitol Hill on Friday as President Donald Trump visits the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a medical exam.
Last Paychecks for Millions on Friday
According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, approximately 1.4 million federal workers have been either furloughed or are working without pay. The last paycheck for some of these workers hit on Friday, October 10. Due to the timing of the shutdown, these paychecks were short several hundred dollars. This will be the last paycheck until the government reopens.
During past shutdowns, the federal workers received back pay after the conflict was resolved. However, the White House signaled this week that the retroactive pay may not happen this time once the government reopens. A draft from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) suggested that furloughed workers do not need to get paid. President Donald Trump did little to quell these concerns, raising the alarm bell that some workers will miss out on this pay entirely.
The pressure will be on next week, as military personnel are likely to miss their first paycheck on October 15. In past shutdown events, Congress was able to pass a measure to ensure that members of the military would continue to be paid. Despite the precedent, Johnson told GOP legislators on Thursday that he was not planning on putting a standalone bill on the House floor to approve this military pay.
While Johnson does not have plans to introduce a formal bill to guarantee that the military will not miss a paycheck, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on Friday that the Trump administration is “looking at options” to continue the paychecks for service members.
Meanwhile, OMB Director Russell Vought confirmed on Friday that the government has begun the process of firing federal workers. These notices are starting to roll out to employees.
Concern About FAA Function
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed on Friday that at least two facilities will be understaffed throughout the day, triggering delays and widespread travel disruptions. The Newark Liberty International Airport control tower was understaffed until at least 1 p.m. ET. The result was delays of up to one hour for all flights leaving the airport.
Additionally, the Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center will also be short-staffed until 3 p.m. ET. A total of 12 FAA facilities experienced staffing shortages on Thursday. These included shortages at major hubs such as Bradley International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The FAA also reported that the nation's cargo operations were impacted in three centers housing major operations for both UPS and FedEx.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Thursday that some controllers were “lashing out” because of the government shutdown. Duffy told the media that safety will always be the primary concern, vowing to delay flights as necessary to maintain safe flight operations.
Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.