Government Shutdown 2025: Trump’s Firings, What’s Frozen, and the White House’s Rationale

Date: October 12, 2025 (America/Phoenix)

The big picture

The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1, 2025, after talks collapsed over a stopgap funding bill, with key friction points including health-care subsidies. Republicans control Congress but lack the Senate votes to overcome a Democratic filibuster. As of this weekend, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed, with more working without pay. CBS News+1

On Oct. 11, President Trump directed the Pentagon to repurpose roughly $8B in unobligated R&D funds so service members receive the Oct. 15 paycheck—though that order doesn’t clearly cover future pay cycles and doesn’t automatically include the Coast Guard (under DHS). Reuters+1

Vice President JD Vance has framed the standoff as Democrats’ fault and repeatedly said the country was “headed to a shutdown” in the days before the lapse. Reuters+1

What’s being held up (or strained)

• National Parks & public lands: Many parks are open but understaffed, leading to safety, sanitation, and resource-protection concerns with most staff furloughed. National Parks Conservation Association+1

• Museums & tourism: Some Smithsonian facilities stayed open briefly using carryover funds, but ongoing operations are uncertain as the shutdown drags on. The Independent

• Air travel & federal services: Agencies are operating with reduced staffing; live updates all week have tracked cascading delays and service interruptions as contingency funds thin out. CBS News

• General federal operations: With no enacted appropriations, numerous “non-excepted” activities across agencies are paused; constituent resource pages from House offices outline affected programs and points of contact. Dina Titus+1

Firings, layoffs, and agency turmoil

CDC leadership and staffing

• Leadership shake-out: In late August, the administration fired CDC Director Susan Monarez, triggering resignations from other senior officials and widespread criticism from public-health leaders. Monarez later told the Senate she was ousted for “holding the line on scientific integrity.” Reuters+1

• Layoff waves during the shutdown: This week, ~1,000+ CDC employees received layoff notices—some quickly rescinded—including personnel tied to infectious-disease response and the MMWR communications pipeline. Reporting indicates ~1,300 notices went out with “hundreds” walked back, reflecting confusion and rapid reversals. The Washington Post+1

Broader federal layoff push

• Pre-shutdown planning: In late September, the White House told agencies to prepare mass-firing plans tied to a possible shutdown, a move legal experts and unions say is constrained by federal law. The Washington Post+2Reuters+2

• Active Reduction-in-Force (RIF) notices: As the shutdown continued, multiple departments—including HHS (≈1,100–1,200), Education (≈466), HUD (≈442), Commerce (≈315), and Energy (≈187)—reported issuing RIF notices to thousands of employees. FedSmith.com

What Trump and JD Vance say is the reason

• “Pay the troops” work-around: Trump’s team argues diverting Pentagon funds is necessary to protect service members while Democrats “hold government funding hostage” over health-care demands. (DoD diversion: ~$8B R&D funds.) Reuters+1

• Blaming Democrats / leveraging pressure: Vance and White House allies say Democrats’ refusal to accept GOP terms necessitated hard choices—including layoffs—to force an agreement. Vance publicly warned before Oct. 1 that a shutdown was likely given the impasse. Reuters+1

• Pushback & legal cautions: Democrats, unions, and some legal experts counter that sweeping firings during a shutdown may be unlawful, and that furloughs are being conflated with permanent layoffs to create political pressure. CBS News+1

What to watch next

1. Will the Pentagon workaround repeat after Oct. 15? The current directive covers the next paycheck window; longer coverage is unclear. The Washington Post

2. Scope of agency RIFs: Whether RIF notices turn into permanent separations—especially at CDC/HHS—or get reversed as negotiations evolve. The Washington Post+1

3. A targeted funding patch? Congress could pass single-issue pay bills (e.g., for troops or FAA) or a clean CR if leadership shifts. Live updates indicate the Senate schedule remains fluid. CBS News