On September 20, 2025, the government shut down after Congress failed to pass a bill to fund operations for the fiscal year. Although the House of Representatives was able to pass a continuing resolution that would provide funding for the government through November 21st, this resolution ultimately failed in the Senate. While the Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, they need at least seven Democrats to approve this continuing resolution.

However, Democrats are not willing to give the Republicans what they want. They counter the Republicans’ continuing resolution with their own, and one of the main things they mention in their resolution is that Congress needs to extend the ACA tax credits, as they are set to expire at the end of this year. In addition, the Democrats’ resolution also includes limiting President Trump’s power to freeze or cancel funds that Congress allocates for a particular year and reversing the Medicaid cuts.

Government shutdowns should not be taken lightly, as some federal workers may temporarily struggle to meet their needs without a paycheck. They show up every day to keep planes safe, provide care for our veterans, and keep our country running. So, when President Trump suggests that some workers may not receive back pay once the showdown ends, it should be alarming to everyone, regardless of their views.

In fact, he said that “for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. Some people really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.” Threatening the pay of those who serve the public turns everyday Americans into pawns in a political game, and this is a game that I can say with 100% confidence that no one wants to play.

However, this is not how things are done. In 2019, Congress passed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, which states that “each employee of the United States Government or of a District of Columbia public employer furloughed as a result of a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period of the lapse in appropriations.” President Trump himself signed this bill into law during his first term.

Now, the Trump Administration appears to be backpedaling on this law, using the phrase “subject to the enactment of appropriations Acts ending the lapse” as a way to say that back pay might not be guaranteed. However, Kevin Owen, a partner at Gilbert Employment, argues that “the White House’s view on the 2019 is ‘too narrow”. In addition, he believes that the White House would be violating the Civil Service Reform Act if these furloughed employees were not paid after the shutdown concludes.

During this current shutdown, over 750,000 federal workers will either be furloughed or be required to work without pay. It is already hard enough to afford our basic needs, so why make it even harder to afford the bare minimum?

If the administration’s interpretation of the law were allowed to stand, this would set a dangerous precedent. A president deciding who deserves to get paid based on personal judgment rather than following the law is simply trying to play the roles of judge, jury, and executioner. As of right now, the government remains shut down, and we do not know when Congress will decide to reopen the government.

At the end of the day, this is not just politics that we are talking about, but people’s lives. This is not the time for our government leaders to post AI videos of each other to gain political points, while potentially thousands of people are suffering right now due to the shutdown. As mentioned previously, health care monthly premiums are expected to increase significantly.

According to the KFF, “enrollees would see a 114% increase in premium payments if Congress does not extend the tax credits.” Meanwhile, members of Congress are still able to get paid during this shutdown, although some have chosen to withhold their salaries until the government reopens.

Overall, federal employees should not have to wonder when the next time they will get paid for simply doing their job. We should be following a simple rule: If you work, then you should get paid. However, until Congress stops playing politics and starts doing its job, the people who actually keep this country running will continue to pay the price.

Acknowledgment: The ideas expressed in this article are those of the individual author.