Trump Wants to Deny Some Federal Workers Back Pay During Shutdown Despite the Law

The federal govenment shutdown has been going on since October 1, 2025 (a full week). Trump has suggested some of these workers will receive no backpay despite a 2019 law guaranteeing it. He is saying he can pick and choose which federal workers get back pay. He said, "There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of." (see previous linked article). These federal workers are working. They did not sign up to work jobs without pay. This would violate all kinds of labor laws if a private employer chose not to pay their employees for work. Why is this happening? Twenty four million Americans do not have health insurance through their jobs and pay for it through the Marketplace Exchange (ACA or the Affordable Care Act). The Republicans are in a feud not to extend the subsidies for ACA. In addition, Trump is threatening in the shutdown to permanently eliminate jobs. In 2019 journalist Ece Temelkuran discussed the 7 steps to turn a country from a democracy to a dictatorship. She eerily referred back to Trump's government shutdown, "Mr. Trump's government shutdown was the longest government shutdown in American history, and the entire American establishment had to come together to stop Mr. Trump doing this. So, dismantling the political institutions, dismantling the judiciary institutions does not happen overnight. It becomes normalized as well when right-wing populist leaders start toying with political institutions just like Mr. Trump is, even in his first days of his presidency." We are here again folks. This time the takedown is far quicker and more serious.