If Congress does not fund the government by Monday night, it will cost millions of Americans their next full paycheck, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Monday.
“Millions of American federal workers are under enormous financial stress as a result, wondering how they will pay their bills and take care of their families,” Leavitt said. “If the Democrats do not vote to open the government tonight, federal workers will not receive their next full paycheck.”
More than 620,000 federal workers have <a href="https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/10/more-employees-set-receive-furlough-notices-shutdown-drags/408629/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been furloughed</a> as the government shutdown approaches its second week. More and more workers will join their ranks in the coming days unless Republicans and Democrats come to an agreement on a funding bill. That includes more than <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/another-deadline-us-shutdown-will-troops-get-paychecks-october-15-2025-10-06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1 million active-duty troops</a> whose pay will lapse on October 15 absent an agreement.
Furloughed employees are issued letters they may present to landlords or creditors and will be issued back pay once the shutdown ends. Still, workers are already beginning to feel the strain of the shutdown, with some <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/fed-workers-stressed-financially-stretched-government-shutdown/story?id=126152597" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling</a> ABC News they are living paycheck to paycheck.
Leavitt on Wednesday placed the blame for that financial strain firmly on Democrats, noting that just five defections would bring an end to the shutdown. That would not only protect federal workers’ pay, but also ensure federal nutrition programs for women and children operate uninterrupted.
Democrats thus far have refused to support funding bills that do not make permanent expanded Obamacare premium tax credits set to expire this year. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) took to X Friday to affirm that “Democrats will keep fighting to save health care for all Americans.”
Republicans say Schumer is keeping the government closed for fear of alienating extreme members of his party, who support the expanded tax credits because they would make it easier for illegal aliens to receive taxpayer-subsidized health benefits.
The Democrats’ “funding proposal would result in nearly $200 billion dollars spent on health care for illegal aliens and other non-citizens over the next decade,” Leavitt said Wednesday.
Republicans are pushing a “clean” funding bill, which would keep the government running without any additional provisions. The House of Representatives passed the bill on Sept. 19 by a vote of 217-212. The Senate has repeatedly failed to pass the bill, with the majority of Democrats voting to oppose.
Democratic Senators John Fetterman, (Pa.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) have sided with Republicans.

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Brecca Stoll

Americans Will Miss Paychecks If Shutdown Doesn’t End Tonight