US President Donald Trump said furloughed federal employees may not automatically receive back pay when the shutdown ends. He added that payments will depend on who he considers “deserving.”

When asked about a draft White House memo suggesting 750,000 employees may not get money after the shutdown, Trump said, “It depends on who we’re talking about. I can tell you this, the Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy.”

He added, “For the most part, we’re going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”

Legal Background

Trump’s remarks conflict with existing law. After the 2019 shutdown, he signed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA). The law says that federal staff “shall be paid for the period of the lapse.” NBC reported, “Each employee of the United States Government or of a District of Columbia public employer furloughed as a result of a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period of the lapse in appropriations.”

However, the new White House memo claims that under an amended GEFTA, Congress must specifically approve payments, so back pay is not automatic.

If the administration withholds pay, it would mark a major escalation, as Trump has already threatened the jobs of thousands of furloughed workers if Democrats do not compromise.

Government Shutdown

The US Senate failed again to pass a spending budget, marking the fifth unsuccessful attempt. Both Democratic and Republican proposals failed to reach the 60 votes needed for approval.

The government has now entered its seventh day in shutdown. Lawmakers are deadlocked, especially over healthcare legislation. The Democratic bill failed 45-50 on Monday, while the GOP proposal fell short at 52-42.

Impact of Shutdown

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers face uncertainty about pay and job security. The shutdown continues as political negotiations stall in Washington.