The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, or GEFTA, guarantees back pay for employees furloughed or required to work unpaid during any “lapse in appropriations that begins on or after Dec. 22,” which marked the first day of the previous shutdown.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday (October 11, 2025) his administration has found a way to pay troops during the federal government shutdown and that he has ordered Pentagon chief Pete Hegs...

A spokesperson for the budget office described the layoffs as “substantial” but declined to provide further details.