Overview

• With the government in Day 7, the Senate skipped an expected sixth vote to advance competing stopgap bills and the House remained closed, leaving no path yet to reopen agencies.
• An OMB memo circulated publicly suggested furloughed workers may not automatically receive back pay despite a 2019 law, drawing bipartisan pushback as roughly 750,000 employees face missed paychecks and military pay risks a lapse by Oct. 15.
• Democrats continue to condition any short‑term funding on extending expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, while Republicans insist health care talks occur after reopening; Trump signaled openness to a deal before later saying government must reopen first, a claim of ongoing talks that Democrats disputed.
• Operational strains mounted, including FAA staffing shortages that prompted at least one control‑tower closure and flight delay, alongside White House funding freezes targeting billions for projects in Democratic‑led areas and warnings of potential layoffs that have not begun.
• Quiet conversations have emerged among a group of senators exploring health‑care options, even as earlier votes showed only a few Democrats backing the GOP bill and signs that support may be slipping ahead of another likely failed attempt.