DAY 16: Senate GOP tries a new tack, CDC in chaos, and layoffs get judicial thumbs down
- Agora
- Oct 16
- 2 min read
AGORA SHUTDOWN UPDATE
October 16, 2025
After two weeks of trying to bring up the House-passed CR only to see it fail, Senate Republicans are rolling out a new strategy to force Democrats to capitulate, bringing up the full-year Pentagon appropriations bill. It’s unclear how Dems will vote, but the stakes for federal agencies and workers continue to grow.
Meanwhile, a judge throws a wrench into the White House’s layoff plans, the CDC reels from firings and un-firings, and didn’t there used to be a lower chamber in Congress?
Below is a roundup of the latest shutdown news.
CONGRESS
Republicans are daring Democrats to oppose bipartisan legislation to fund the Department of Defense for fiscal 2026. Majority Leader John Thune told reporters he’s also hoping to tack on appropriations measures to fund the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services.
More than 150 lawmakers, led by Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on Wednesday demanded that the Trump administration guarantee that furloughed federal employees are granted backpay at the conclusion of the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has entered its third week.
There’s no fixed date for the House to come back into session. Rather than working with constituents at home, a sizable chunk of members are in Washington acting as a sort of parliament in exile, making impassioned speeches while the House chamber doors remain shut.
WHITE HOUSE
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from implementing any new or existing layoffs in relation to the shutdown, saying the cuts were likely illegal.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said Wednesday the Trump administration could ultimately lay off more than 10,000 federal employees during the government shutdown.
FEDERAL AGENCIES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees and the union local that represents workers at the agency’s Atlanta headquarters are still trying to figure out what programs and offices were impacted by the Oct. 10 layoffs after they said around 700 CDC personnel were incorrectly dismissed.
The General Services Administration sent additional furlough notices to employees on Tuesday evening, as part of a “phased furlough” plan the agency finalized last week.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Wednesday the federal shutdown is proof that her department should be eliminated, as the Trump administration is trying to do.
What does a shutdown mean for government contractors, employees, grantees and the general public? Click here for more information.
Questions? Comments? Email Agora.
Comments