Government shutdown enters eighth day as Trump assesses back pay for furloughed workers

The Trump administration is worsening the consequences of a prolonged government shutdown as the expiration of the appropriations enters its eighth day, with no sign of ending soon.

Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) outlined plans reviewed by Fox News Digital that would not ensure that federal workers currently furloughed as a result of the shutdown would receive back pay — upending a 2019 law from the first Trump administration in the wake of a 35-day shutdown.

The threat that unemployed workers won’t receive their back pay raises the stakes every day Congress fails to pass a funding measure — and puts greater pressure on Democrats as President Donald Trump continues to blame them for creating the crisis.

Shutdown sparks strategic debate: Will Trump and Republicans pay the political price in 2026?

President Donald Trump told reporters on October 7, 2025, during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, that it was Democrats who triggered the shutdown. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Trump told reporters Tuesday during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that it was Democrats who triggered the shutdown, although Democrats blamed Republicans, who control both the House and Senate.

“It’s like a kamikaze attack. They have nothing to lose,” Trump said of Democrats, referring to suicide missions by Japanese airmen during World War II.

Additionally, Trump said it “depends on who we’re talking to” when asked if unemployed workers would be compensated after the shutdown ends.

“The Democrats have put a lot of people in danger, but it really depends on who you talk to,” Trump said. “But for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people who really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”

The possibility that unemployed workers won’t receive back pay, first reported by Axios, already comes as the Trump administration moves to shrink the federal government. For example, OMB already asked agencies in September to develop plans for reducing staffing levels in the event of a government shutdown.

The move represents a departure from the status quo, as furloughed employees typically return to work once the government shutdown ends.

HERE’S WHAT TRUMP WANTS TO DO TO REFORM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE SHUTDOWN

President Donald Trump has signaled that permanent layoffs will take place in the coming days and that “many of these jobs will never come back.” (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

But Trump signaled that permanent cuts would be imposed in the coming days and that “many of these jobs will never come back.”

“We have a lot of things that we’re going to eliminate and eliminate permanently,” Trump said Tuesday.

The government entered a partial shutdown on October 1, amid an impasse between Senate Republicans and Democrats over a short-term funding bill aimed at keeping the government open until November 21. The House had already passed the temporary spending bill in September.

Three Democratic senators joined Republicans in voting for the temporary funding bill on September 30, but the measure fell short of the 60 votes required for passage.

Trump and Republicans say Democrats want to provide health care to illegal immigrants, because of a provision that would repeal part of Trump’s tax and domestic policy bill, known as the “big, beautiful bill” that reduced Medicaid eligibility for those who are not U.S. citizens.

Even so, Democrats have pushed back on those claims and said they want to permanently extend some Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.

GOVERNMENT SHUTS UP AFTER CONGRESS DEADCOMES ON SPENDING DEAL

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of not taking the shutdown seriously and “refusing to address the health care crisis they created.” (J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of not taking the shutdown seriously and “refusing to address the health care crisis they created.”

“It’s about time we did it,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday.

Senate Democrats failed to accept Republicans’ temporary spending bill in a sixth vote on Wednesday, leading to a government shutdown.

The White House said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday that every shutdown has consequences and that Democrats could “simply” vote to reopen the government.

“Whether it’s our brave military members who are working without pay, business owners who are not receiving a previously promised job contract, or families facing flight delays, everyone is paying the price for Democrats’ sweeping demands,” White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said.

Alex Miller of Fox News contributed to this report.