WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump has begun firing federal workers amind the ongoing government shutdown while vowing to continue paying members of the military.
At least 4,000 civil-service workers were notified Oct. 10 they were being laid off, rather than simply furloughed as in past shutdowns, and the administration warned that more are coming.
Meanwhile, civil servants got reduced paychecks Oct. 10, and members of the military expected to miss their first paycheck Oct. 15 without Trump’s intervention.
Here are the latest updates for where the shutdown stands:
Poll finds Americans lean toward blaming GOP for shutdown
An Economist/YouGov poll conducted Oct. 4-6 found 41% of Americans are more likely to blame Republicans and Trump for the shutdown, compared to 30% holding congressional Democrats responsible and 23% choosing neither side.
Among respondents who could correctly identify which party holds the majority in Congress, 49% blamed Republicans and 34% blamed Democrats, the poll found.
The poll surveyed 1,648 U.S. adult citizens with a margin of error of approximately 3.5%.
Thousands laid off as shutdown grinds on
The Trump administration said about 4,000 federal workers had so far received reduction-in-force notices. The figure was detailed in a court document the Justice Department submitted in response to a lawsuit from unions representing government workers.
Additional layoffs are coming, a senior administration official told USA TODAY.
The initial wave of layoffs included 315 workers in the Commerce Department; 466 in the Education Department; 187 in the Energy Department; between 1,100 and 1,200 in the Department of Health and Human Services; 442 in the Department of Housing and Urban Development; 176 in the Department Homeland Security; and 1,446 in the Treasury Department.
The cuts wiped out the Education Department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Trump vows to pay military despite funding lapse
The threat that 1.3 members of the military would miss their first paycheck Oct. 15 became a potent argument for both sides to resolve the impasse.
But Trump announced on social media Oct. 11 the Pentagon found the money to pay about 1.3 million active members of the military, relieving pressure to end the stalemate sooner.
“I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,” Trump said.
Senate to vote 8th time to end shutdown
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the chamber would vote again Oct. 14 on a bill to end the shutdown, but that he still needed a handful of Democrats to reopen the government.
The Senate has already failed seven times to approve a House Republican bill to reopen the government until Nov. 21. Three senators who caucus with Democrats joined Republicans to support the bill but the 55-45 majority was short of the 60-vote majority needed to end the debate.
Thune, R-South Dakota, continued to blame the shutdown on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York. Most Democrats have blocked the bill while aiming to restore cuts to Medicaid and extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans said they can negotiate health care issues after the government reopens.
“Let’s hope there are 5 more Democrats who will join us, because despite all of the good work we’ve done, there’s a lot more we could do if the Schumer Shutdown ends,” Thune said on social media.
