Today's News: As Shutdown Continues, Layoffs at CDC and Continued Pay for Military
The Trump administration has authorized the use of existing funds to ensure military servicemembers receive their paychecks, a decision made amidst a political standoff in Congress over funding bills.
Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP
Overview
Date: October 11, 2025
Summary: The federal government shutdown, now in its second week, is causing significant disruption across the United States. Thousands of federal workers have been laid off, particularly at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), impacting crucial public health services, Native American communities, farmers, and IRS operations. The Trump administration has authorized the use of existing funds to ensure military servicemembers receive their paychecks, a decision made amidst a political standoff in Congress over funding bills. The shutdown has intensified stress on federal employees and raised concerns about the nation’s preparedness for various crises.
Sources
The New York Times - Some Americans Are Starting to Feel the Impact of the Government Shutdown
CNN - ‘The damage is beyond repair’: The CDC is facing another round of deep staff cuts
NBC News - Trump authorizes troop pay amid government shutdown
The Washington Post - Mass CDC cuts hit staff dealing with measles, Ebola and disease forecasting
The Wall Street Journal - Trump Says Military Will Get Paid Despite Shutdown
Key Points
The federal government shutdown has entered its second week, leading to palpable impacts on various segments of the American population and federal services.
The Trump administration initiated mass layoffs of federal workers, with reports of over 4,000 employees affected across multiple agencies including Health and Human Services, Treasury, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, and Homeland Security.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been particularly hard hit by staff cuts, affecting critical public health functions like disease surveillance, outbreak response, and data analysis.
President Trump has authorized the use of existing funds to ensure military servicemembers receive their paychecks on October 15, bypassing the congressional impasse.
The shutdown is a result of a political standoff in Washington, with both Republicans and Democrats blaming each other for the failure to reach a funding agreement.
Federal workers are experiencing significant stress and uncertainty, with many furloughed or working without pay, and concerns raised about the legality and fairness of the layoffs and potential issues with back pay.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times details the specific struggles of Native American communities facing curtailed medical services, veterans losing access to career counseling, and farmers facing uncertainty about federal assistance for next year’s crops. It also highlights the personal impact through the story of Yolanda Jacobs, a furloughed CDC health specialist, and mentions potential delays in construction projects due to furloughed permit issuers and the precarious state of grocery vouchers for low-income mothers and children.
CNN provides specific figures for CDC staff reductions, noting that between 1,100 and 1,200 employees were impacted from HHS, with significant cuts to the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). It quotes Dr. Demetre Daskalakis stating, “The damage is beyond repair,” and emphasizes the timing of cuts ahead of the winter respiratory virus season.
NBC News identifies Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as the official directed by Trump to pay troops and specifies that research and development funds from the Department of Defense will be used. It outlines the differing funding proposals from the House (through Nov 21) and Senate Democrats (through end of October, restoring Medicaid cuts, extending ACA subsidies) and includes a poignant anecdote from a C-SPAN caller, a military spouse concerned about affording her children’s medication.
The Washington Post reports that Dr. Debra Houry, former CDC chief medical officer, stated 1,250 layoff notices were sent at the CDC and details the impact on units responding to measles, Ebola, and mpox outbreaks, the global health center’s leadership office (including all six regional offices), the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics, the CDC library, and the Office of Human Resources/ethics office. It also includes a quote from HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon, stating employees were “designated non-essential” and the cuts support the “Make America Healthy Again agenda.”
The Wall Street Journal provides historical context by mentioning the 2018-19 shutdown where Coast Guard members missed a paycheck while other servicemembers were paid. It notes that a Congressional Budget Office memo suggested funds from Trump’s tax and spending package could be used for military pay and clarifies that Trump’s action does not affect other government employees. It also mentions the administration freezing billions of dollars for infrastructure projects in “blue states.”
Contrasting Details
Layoff Status of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Staff:
CNN states that “All the staff at the agency’s the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report… were also fired.”
The Washington Post reports that layoff notices initially targeted the MMWR office but “were sent in error because of a miscoding, according to a federal health official.” However, it adds that “As of Saturday afternoon… the editor who oversees the MMWR and others in the office of science had not been informed that the layoff notices were a mistake.” This indicates conflicting information regarding the final status of these layoffs.
White House Stance on Back Pay for Furloughed Workers:
The New York Times states unequivocally, “Federal workers are required by law to be paid back once the government reopens.”
The Wall Street Journal notes that “The White House has also questioned whether furloughed employees are automatically due back pay under a 2019 law,” although it adds that “Leaders of both parties have said they believe the law ensures all workers get back pay.” This highlights a potential discrepancy in interpretation or intent from the White House compared to the law and bipartisan understanding.
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