WASHINGTON – former President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that some federal employees impacted by the ongoing government shutdown “don’t deserve too be taken care of,” escalating rhetoric as the partial government closure entered its second week and negotiations remain stalled.
the comments came as Democrats accuse the Trump administration of attempting to leverage the shutdown to weaken the civil service and gain negotiating leverage. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries asserted, “The law is clear-every single furloughed federal employee is entitled to back pay period, full stop,” and vowed to ensure compliance.
Approximately 750,000 federal employees are currently furloughed, with manny others working without pay. The shutdown stems from a disagreement over spending priorities, specifically Democrats’ insistence on including an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies in any funding bill – a demand Republicans have thus far rejected. Both the House and Senate failed to pass competing short-term funding measures on monday, and no further votes are currently scheduled.
trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have reportedly threatened mass layoffs at federal agencies characterized as “Democrat strongholds,” though no firings have been announced. When questioned about potential job cuts, Trump stated, “I’ll be able to tell you that in four or five days if this keeps going on.” He added, “If this keeps going on, it’ll be ample. and a lot of those jobs will never come back.But you’re going to have a lot closer to a balanced budget actually.”
Senate Majority Leader john Thune indicated that back pay is “a fairly standard practice” and expressed unfamiliarity with arguments against it, stating, “My understanding is, yes, that they would get paid.” The Office of Management and Budget has not publicly clarified its position on back pay for furloughed employees.
