The United States government shutdown entered its third week on Monday, with Congress still deadlocked over spending and no sign of resolution to a crisis that has already cost thousands of jobs.
About 1.3 million active-duty military personnel are expected to miss their first paycheck on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump continues to clash with Democrats over a Republican-backed funding bill.
Hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain on enforced leave, and Trump has followed through on threats to slash the workforce in a bid to pressure Democrats into approving the spending resolution passed by the Republican-controlled House.
The president has vowed to “find a way” to ensure troops receive pay despite the shutdown, but the uncertainty has already led to long lines at food banks serving military families.
Vice President JD Vance warned over the weekend that Democrats could face tougher consequences if they refused to compromise. “The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be and… to be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful,” he told Fox News.
Court filings from the Department of Justice confirmed that more than 4,000 employees were dismissed on Friday, with the Treasury, Health, Education, and Housing departments among the hardest hit.
The layoffs form part of a wider campaign of threats aimed at increasing pressure on Democrats to support Republican moves to reopen the government.
However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the move as political posturing, predicting that the job cuts would eventually be overturned in court.
The Stronghold Food Pantry, a charity supporting military families, reported an “unprecedented increase in need since the shutdown began,” according to Time magazine.
Trump announced on Saturday that he had directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds to get our Troops PAID” by midweek. Pentagon officials are reportedly reallocating $8 billion from research and development programs to cover salaries, a move that may not be legally sound but has faced little opposition so far.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has kept the chamber in recess since September 19, has resisted calls to reconvene for a standalone vote on military pay. “We have voted so many times to pay the troops. We have already done it. We did it in the House three weeks ago. The ball is in the court of Senate Democrats right now. That’s it.” he said Friday.
The main point of contention remains Democratic demands to include an extension of expiring health insurance subsidies for 24 million Americans in the funding package.
With Congress out Monday for a federal holiday, the shutdown entered its 14th day. While Trump’s pledge to pay military personnel brought temporary relief, it also reduced the pressure on both parties to end the standoff.
The Senate is expected to reconvene Tuesday for an eighth attempt to pass a bill reopening the government, though few expect a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, the effects of the shutdown are spreading. Airports are facing growing delays as Transportation Security Administration employees call in sick rather than work without pay, and the Smithsonian Institution has closed its museums and the National Zoo as of Sunday.