President Donald Trump has instructed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure military personnel receive their scheduled pay on Wednesday, despite the ongoing federal government shutdown that began on October 1. This directive aims to secure military pay while other federal employees experience withheld wages and furloughs.
Trump emphasized on his Truth Social platform that he would not allow the shutdown, attributed to disagreements between Republican and Democratic party leaders, to adversely affect the military. He specifically requested Hegseth to utilize “all available funds” to guarantee troops are compensated, as many military personnel are categorized as “essential” and are required to work without pay. Approximately 750,000 federal employees, or around 40%, have been furloughed without pay, while furloughed employees are typically entitled to receive back pay once the shutdown concludes.
The ongoing negotiations between the two parties have been contentious, with Democrats insisting any resolution must safeguard expiring tax credits vital to health insurance costs, alongside reversing cuts to Medicaid. Republicans have accused Democrats of triggering the shutdown and subsequent disruptions.
In a related move, the Trump administration has initiated layoffs of federal workers during the shutdown, a rare occurrence. Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, announced that over 4,000 employees across seven government agencies have been let go, including personnel at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency’s entire Washington, D.C. office faced cuts, impacting key projects such as the CDC’s Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report and its Ebola response efforts.
Labor unions representing federal workers have filed a lawsuit seeking to block these layoffs, arguing the administration’s actions undermine essential services. In counterarguments, government attorneys stated that the unions have not sufficiently demonstrated irreparable harm, a prerequisite for the court to grant the requested restraining order.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce808gvp56mo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss