The federal shutdown reached its 15th day on Wednesday, October 15, after Republicans failed for the eighth time to secure enough Democratic votes to end the budget impasse.
Yet, even as large portions of the U.S. government remain paralyzed, President Donald Trump has taken an unprecedented step. He’s shifting funds to keep vital and favored agencies and programs operating.
While millions of federal workers face uncertainty, Trump has redirected funds from dormant programs to maintain operations in areas he supports, such as military payrolls, immigration enforcement, and certain law enforcement functions.
“We got the people that we want paid, paid,” Trump said Wednesday in the Oval Office. “We’re getting rid of programs that we didn’t like but that were negotiated in. We’re terminating those programs, and they’re going to be terminated permanently.”
For official updates on the ongoing federal shutdown and its impacts, visit USA.gov.
Redirecting Federal Funds
According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, Trump’s administration is “battening down the hatches” to ride out the shutdown while continuing mass layoffs — with over 4,000 government workers already dismissed and more expected.
