October 2025:
- The U.S. government entered its 15th partial shutdown since 1981 after Congress failed to pass a short-term funding bill by the October 1 deadline.
- Dispute centers on healthcare funding, with Democrats demanding reversal of Medicaid cuts and extension of Obamacare subsidies.
Trump’s Escalation
- President Donald Trump cancelled talks with Democratic leaders, calling their demands “unserious.”
- His administration issued a memo warning of mass permanent layoffs in federal agencies lacking mandatory funding.
- Agencies were instructed to submit reduction-in-force plans and notify employees of potential job losses.
Impact on Workers
- Over 300,000 federal workers have already exited this year, with 154,000 more slated to leave by September 30.
- Traditionally, furloughed workers receive back pay, but this time, Trump’s team is pushing for permanent dismissals.
Political Fallout
- Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, condemned the move as intimidation and a political weaponization of the shutdown.
- Trump posted a controversial AI-generated video mocking Democratic leaders, drawing criticism for racial insensitivity.
(Source Al Jazeera)
—Agencies
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