Government Shutdown Update: Tuesday, October 7, 2025

The Senate was in session today, and House members remain at home in their districts. There were no votes on continuing resolutions (CRs) today, and there will be no votes on the CRs tomorrow.

What is the Administration doing?

A draft White House memo circulated today indicated that furloughed federal employees might not be guaranteed compensation for their time off. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identified a potential loophole in the amended version of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (GEFTA). The general interpretation of GEFTA is that it ensures furloughed workers are compensated following the end of a shutdown. The OMB has argued that the law requires Congress to specifically appropriate that money. This afternoon, when asked if furloughed employees will be paid, President Trump said, “It depends on who we are talking about.” House Speaker Johnson (R-LA) said that there will be discussion on the matter and assured that the President wants employees to be paid. Senate Majority Leader Thune (R-SD) said he had not seen such a memo and is assuming that workers will receive compensation.

What are Congress members saying?

The Republicans are not necessarily in lockstep with leadership's position, as illustrated by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). Last night, Rep. Greene took to social media to express outrage over the expected doubling of health insurance premiums if the Affordable Cara Act (ACA) subsidies expire. She criticized Republican leadership for failing to address the issue promptly. We will be watching to see if more Republicans start to splinter off and how that may affect negotiations.

Speaker Johnson spoke today at the Senate Republican luncheon, where he told them the shutdown needs to be resolved by October 13 in order for the U.S. military troops to be paid. The military pay date is October 15. Lawmakers are still looking for ways to ensure active-duty service members will receive timely compensation if the shutdown goes past that date.

Democrats continue to emphasize that the implications of ending the ACA subsidies will be far worse for the American people than the impacts of the shutdown. Even Senator Angus King (I-ME), who has repeatedly voted for the clean CR, has expressed worries that the Republicans have not addressed the ACA increases, which he calls an “immediate problem.” He has suggested he may change his vote on the CR to “no” because of this issue.

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) proposed a short-term, year-long extension of the ACA subsidies, which House Minority Leader Jeffries swiftly rejected.

Republicans are encouraging Democrats to vote for the clean CR to reopen the government, with some suggesting possible negotiations on ACA subsidies later on.

Notable shutdown impacts

Government shutdowns often have a pronounced effect on the staffing and efficiency of federal agencies with which Americans interact every day. Notably, airports may experience increased delays and cancellations due to staffing shortages and control tower closures as air traffic controllers call out sick. The air traffic control industry is already short-staffed, and the government shutdown has only worsened the problem as they are forced to work without pay. In 2019, air traffic controllers played a crucial role in ending the shutdown by causing hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at LaGuardia Airport in New York after six air traffic controllers called out sick.

Last night, at Hollywood Burbank Airport, there were no air traffic controllers in the Burbank tower, and operations were instead run remotely by an approach and departure team out of San Diego. Other airports across the country are experiencing staffing shortages and ground delays. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that, if shortages increase, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will “reduce the flow [of flights] consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people.”

Additionally, the FDA has suspended most of its routine food safety inspections, and the nutrition assistance programs, WIC and SNAP, are at risk of running out of funding.

These are the types of issues that could impact the political atmosphere and influence the length of the shutdown.

If you have any questions or would like to coordinate an individual conversation about the shutdown’s effects or about the Government Affairs & Public Policy practice, please contact practice chair Karina Lynch at karina.lynch@us.dlapiper.com.