Trump administration threatens no back pay for federal workers in shutdown
October 7, 2025
President Donald Trump’s administration is warning of no guaranteed back pay for federal workers during a shutdown. That would be a reversal of what has been longstanding policy for some 750,000 furloughed employees. A new memo being circulated by the White House says that legislation that Trump signed into law in 2019 does not require back pay. It says it’s up to Congress to provide the funds. The move was widely seen as a negotiating tactic. House Speaker Mike Johnson said it should “turn up the urgency.” But Democratic Sen. Patty Murry called it a “scare” tactic since the law is clear that workers will be paid.