As the U.S. government shutdown grinds into its second week, the nation finds itself at a crossroads, with more than 4,000 federal workers facing layoffs and at least 1.3 million military service members bracing for missed paychecks. The political standoff in Washington, which began on October 1, 2025, has not only disrupted the lives of federal employees and their families but also cast a shadow over critical government functions, from national security to public health.
On October 11, President Trump announced a bold move: he directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use available federal funds to pay military personnel as the October 15 payday loomed. "We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS," Trump wrote on Truth Social, as reported by Nexstar Media. He added pointedly, "I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown." The president’s message was clear—he would not let partisan gridlock threaten the financial security of those in uniform.
Yet, for many federal workers, the situation remains dire. According to CBS News, employees began receiving notices on October 10 that they would be laid off in 60 days if the shutdown persists. A court filing revealed that more than 4,000 workers at seven federal agencies could be affected, including approximately 315 at the Department of Commerce, 466 at Education, 187 at Energy, between 1,100 and 1,200 at Health and Human Services, 442 at Housing and Urban Development, 176 at Homeland Security, and 1,446 at Treasury.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, reflecting the somber mood in the Capitol, acknowledged that Friday marked the first day federal workers would not receive their full paychecks. "We're not in a good mood here in the Capitol," Johnson said, according to CBS News. He noted that while federal workers are generally entitled to back pay once the government reopens, active-duty service members are unlikely to receive any part of their next paycheck until the shutdown ends.
The shutdown’s ripple effects have been felt far beyond government offices. Several U.S. airports experienced disruptions due to shortages of air traffic controllers, who have continued working without pay since funding lapsed. While they are expected to receive back pay eventually, the uncertainty has added to the mounting frustration among essential workers and travelers alike.
Within federal agencies, the pain has been acute. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laid off dozens of employees late on October 10, including staff responsible for issuing the agency's crucial Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report and those working on Ebola response. According to sources cited by CBS News, the reduction-in-force notices hit even those performing essential work. The CDC’s Office of Human Resources and the leadership team managing background checks and security screenings were also affected. Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon explained, "HHS continues to close wasteful and duplicative entities, including those that are at odds with the Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda."
The Trump administration’s approach to layoffs has drawn sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska described the mass firings as "poorly timed" and "another example of this administration's punitive actions toward the federal workforce." She warned, "The termination of federal employees in a shutdown will further hurt hard-working Americans who have dedicated their lives to public service and jeopardize agency missions once we finally re-open the government." Democratic Representative Mike Levin of California went further, calling the sweeping firings "illegal and unconstitutional," and accused Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought of being "completely out of control."
The layoffs have also sparked concerns about the government’s ability to function effectively once the shutdown ends. As Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia put it, the reductions will "make it harder to get the bipartisan deal that is needed to end this shutdown." Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, called the mass layoff announcement "inevitable" after 10 days of government closure, but he also warned that Americans would "feel a lot more pain and miss a lot more paychecks in the very near future."
Amid the finger-pointing, the House and Senate remain locked in a stalemate. The Senate has left town for the long weekend after seven failed votes on stopgap funding, with no plans to return until Tuesday. The House, meanwhile, has not been in session since September 19 and has canceled votes for the coming week, further delaying any potential resolution. House Speaker Johnson has resisted calls to bring the chamber back to vote on a standalone bill that would ensure military pay, arguing that "the ball is in the court of Senate Democrats right now."
The core of the impasse centers on health care funding, particularly the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year. Democrats have insisted on negotiating this issue before reopening the government, citing the urgency as open enrollment begins November 1. Republicans, on the other hand, maintain they will only discuss the matter once the government is funded. As Johnson told CBS News, "It will take a lot of work to build consensus, if there is even any version of, a reformed version of that could find consensus and pass."
For those caught in the crossfire, the stakes are anything but abstract. During a recent C-SPAN call-in, a military wife named Samantha from Northern Virginia pleaded with Speaker Johnson to pass a bill ensuring military pay, explaining, "I have two medically fragile children. I have a husband who actively serves this country. ... If we see a lapse in pay come the 15th (of October), my children do not get to get the medication that's needed for them to live their life, because we live paycheck to paycheck." Johnson, visibly moved, replied, "Samantha, I'm so sorry to hear about your situation," but stopped short of committing to immediate action.
While President Trump has said that funds have been "identified" to pay troops, the specifics remain unclear, and the administration’s broader strategy appears focused on layoffs targeting programs favored by Democrats. "It will be Democrat-oriented, because we figure they started this thing, so they should be Democrat-oriented. It'll be a lot, and we'll announce the numbers over the next couple of days," Trump told CBS News’ Nancy Cordes.
With Congress at an impasse and the shutdown’s effects deepening, pressure is mounting on both parties to find a solution. The fate of thousands of federal workers, the readiness of the military, and the well-being of families across the country now hang in the balance, waiting for lawmakers to break the deadlock and restore normalcy to the nation’s capital.