Overview

• The federal government has been shut down since Sept. 30, as Democrats push to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Medicaid cuts and Republicans reject those terms.
• According to AFGE, about 2 million federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay, with many essential staff still required to report to their jobs.
• Union leaders and lawmakers gathered in Philadelphia and El Paso to press Congress for a bipartisan resolution, with closures such as the Liberty Bell Center highlighting local impacts.
• Air travel strains are emerging, including flight delays and an uptick in controller sick calls and TSA lateness reported at Philadelphia International Airport, according to union officials.
• OMB removed a reference to the 2019 backpay law in shutdown guidance, which AFGE called a misinterpretation, while the law entitles furloughed and excepted workers to backpay once funding resumes.