Trump administration seems for methods to pay federal officers throughout shutdown

[ad_1] The Trump administration is on the lookout for other ways to make sure federal legislation enforcement officers are paid as the federal government shutdown enters its third week.

With Democrats and Republicans locked in a stalemate over the shutdown, officers in authorities are exploring other ways of paying for some key programmes, together with a meals programme for ladies and kids.

Members of the US navy, in the meantime, will probably be paid utilizing funds beforehand allotted to the Pentagon following an order from President Donald Trump.

Hundreds of federal employees have already been laid off, with Vice-President JD Vance warning of additional "painful" cuts ought to the shutdown proceed.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted for an eighth time to fund the federal government, however did not advance Republicans' stopgap finances in a 49 to 45 vote.

It's unclear how a lot cash can be mandatory to make sure that all federal legislation enforcement officers are paid.

In response to a question from the BBC, a spokesperson for the Workplace of Administration and Funds - or OMB - confirmed that it's inspecting other ways to make sure these funds proceed.

Like navy personnel, federal legislation enforcement officers are thought of "important" and are nonetheless anticipated to report for responsibility, even with out pay.

They embody officers from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Company (DEA), US Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Individually, on Saturday, Trump wrote on Reality Social that he had directed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to make use of "all obtainable funds" to get members of the navy paid on 15 October, after they would have their pay withheld.

Whereas Trump supplied no additional particulars on the place that cash can be drawn from, an OMB spokesperson instructed the BBC that the funds would come from an quantity beforehand allotted for defence analysis and improvement that's obtainable for 2 years.

Roughly 750,000 federal staff - about 40% of the entire workforce - have thus far been furloughed or despatched residence with out pay.

The administration has begun layoffs a minimum of seven companies, totalling about 4,000 employees thus far.

With each US political events persevering with in charge one another for the shutdown, the Trump administration has stated it's searching for new methods to make sure that some important providers proceed.

On Sunday, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem stated her division had discovered an "progressive" method to make sure members of the Coast Guard proceed to be paid, though she supplied no additional particulars.

Administration officers have additionally stated tariff income can be used to fund the Particular Supplementation Vitamin Program for Girls, Infants and Kids, or WIC.

Greater than 6.5m individuals throughout the nation profit from the programme, which gives meals to ladies who're pregnant, breastfeeding or postpartum, in addition to infants and kids as much as 5 years of age.

The Nationwide WIC Affiliation, nonetheless, stated in an announcement that the measure "shouldn't be a everlasting answer" and {that a} extended shutdown may put hundreds of thousands of recipients in danger.

Congressional Democrats are reportedly planning to introduce a invoice that might make sure the programme stays absolutely funded, with Virginia Democrat Robert Scott telling the Guardian that it needs to be "resistant to the vagaries of the annual finances course of".