Commuters cross the street near the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) headquarters on October 1, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Al Drago | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Government shutdowns have historically been an precarious time for federal workers, both for those required to remain on the job without pay and those furloughed. This shutdown comes with added financial uncertainty.
A draft memo from the White House, first reported by Axios and confirmed to NBC News by the White House, suggests not all federal workers on furlough are entitled to receive back pay once the government reopens. Asked about back pay, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, “I would say it depends on who we’re talking about.”
“It really depends on who you’re talking about,” Trump said. “But for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”
Trump has also threatened mass firings, if Democrats won’t agree to the GOP funding proposal.
The memo runs counter to a federal law that requires back pay for federal workers after a shutdown ends, and to recent guidance from the Trump administration.
Congress passed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, and Trump signed it, after the last government shutdown, which lasted for a record 35 days.
“Each employee of the United States Government or of a District of Columbia public employer...
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