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Shutdown Reaches Day 8 as White House Questions Back Pay and Senate Stalls

The stalemate hinges on whether to tie an Affordable Care Act subsidy extension to a short‑term funding measure.

Overview

  • A new White House legal memo raises doubt about automatic back pay for roughly 750,000 furloughed workers, drawing bipartisan criticism and potential legal challenges.
  • The Senate has failed five times to advance competing funding bills and skipped a planned sixth vote Tuesday, with another attempt expected today.
  • President Trump has threatened layoffs yet said he could negotiate on extending expiring ACA subsidies, though he insists the government must reopen first and Democratic leaders say no talks are underway.
  • Agency operations remain curtailed as withheld paychecks begin this week, with active‑duty military pay at risk by Oct. 15 absent a funding deal.
  • OMB has paused or canceled selected grants and projects in Democratic‑led areas, and the White House tapped tariff revenues to keep the WIC nutrition program funded during the lapse.