NPR Politics Podcast – "How The Shutdown Is Affecting Federal Workers And Services"

Date: October 7, 2025
Hosts: Tamara Keith, Stephen Fowler
Guest: Andrea Hsu (NPR Labor and Workplace Correspondent)

Overview

This episode examines the real-world effects of the federal government shutdown, focusing on federal workers, the impact on public services, and the increasingly political nature of both the shutdown and its messaging. The hosts explore who is working (often without pay), which agencies are most affected, service disruptions, and the political maneuvers shaping the standoff. Crucially, the conversation touches on federal employees’ perspectives that differ from prior shutdowns and the new (and potentially controversial) approach the White House is taking regarding retroactive pay for furloughed workers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Who Is Working, Who Isn’t, and Why It’s Complicated

• Shutdown Isn’t a Complete Halt
  • Stephen Fowler [02:26]: "A government shutdown is a bit of a misnomer. It is not like everything in the government grinds to a halt... There are large pockets of the federal government still operating."
    • "Some people ... are operating and working and doing their services without pay."
    • "Others are working with pay because their funding source comes from somewhere else."
    • "Each agency has their own contingency plans... It's a bit of a mix, a grab bag."
• Examples of Agency Status:
  • Veterans Affairs (VA): Only 3% furloughed. Healthcare and medical centers still open [02:53].
  • Commerce Department: 80% staff furloughed [02:59].
  • Homeland Security and Active Duty Military: Still working, but without pay [03:20].
• Scale of Impact
  • Andrea Hsu [03:37]: "Congressional Budget Office put out this estimate of 750,000 civilians would be furloughed. That’s roughly a third of the civilian workforce."
  • Federal workers often didn't know their status until the last minute, contributing to stress and confusion.

Paycheck Pressure Points

• Tamara Keith [04:25]: "When that pay is actually missed is likely to be one of these big pressure points..."
• Andrea Hsu [04:46]: "Most federal employees are still expecting to get a paycheck next... That will be for the last pay period ... They will miss a few days pay in that paycheck."
  • After that, workers will not get paid for ongoing work.
  • Military: First missed paycheck expected October 15th.

Services Disrupted, Services Maintained

• Immediate Disruptions:
  • Stephen Fowler [05:21]: Air traffic control (Hollywood Burbank Airport had hours without anyone in the tower); TSA staffing may degrade if shutdown persists.
  • Andrea Hsu [06:03]: "At the VA ... hospitals are open, crisis hotlines are still operating, but some regional benefits offices are closed, career counseling, public affair [services] ... are not operating right now during the shutdown."

Layoffs: Rumor and Reality

• Tamara Keith [07:40]: White House warnings before shutdown about mass layoffs.
• Andrea Hsu [08:01]: "So far, we have not heard of any layoffs since October 1st that are related to the shutdown. The US Patent and Trademark Office did announce some layoffs, but that agency is funded by fees, not by annual congressional appropriations."
• Stephen Fowler [08:44]: "President Trump cannot order layoffs... These are things that have to be decided on by agency heads."
  • Highlights procedural hurdles and the context of extensive prior workforce cuts under the Trump administration, rendering additional mass layoffs less likely at this juncture.

Federal Workforce Views: More Defiant This Time

• Some workers see the shutdown as an extension of ongoing cuts and reductions.
• Notable Quote:
  • Jenna Norton, NIH program director [11:35]:

    "As a federal worker, I am here to tell you that every awful thing that would happen in a shutdown—shuttering programs that Americans rely on, damaging our economy, firing federal workers—all of this is already happening."

• Andrea Hsu [12:04]: "It’s so different from other shutdowns where federal workers ... wanted the government reopened. This time, at least some ... are saying, keep going, fight on."

Political Stalemate in Congress

• Off-Ramp for the Shutdown:
  • Stephen Fowler [12:34]: "The off ramp is somewhere in the future. We don’t know where it is yet."
  • Senate Democrats seek ACA subsidy extensions; parallel talks to limit OMB director’s power.
  • The White House is deploying a "full court press"—freezing federal grants, pausing funds, threatening layoffs—to pressure Democrats [13:25–13:57].
  • These moves, so far, have not moved Democrats from their negotiating posture.

Retroactive Pay for Federal Workers: Is It at Risk?

• New White House Maneuver:
  • Stephen Fowler [14:22]: "There is a draft memo ... that says that a 2019 law ... to automatically pay federal workers ... maybe doesn't cover furloughed people."
  • The law appears to provide for retroactive pay, but official White House messaging has shifted to suggest uncertainty—or use it as a bargaining chip.
  • Andrea Hsu [15:29]: OMB updated its FAQ to no longer mention back pay for furloughed workers, fueling anxiety.
    • Federal employee: "called it a scare tactic."
• Public Perception & Blame:
  • Tamara Keith [16:06]: Polling finds more Americans blame Republicans for the shutdown—reflecting unified GOP control and the nature of the standoff.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "A government shutdown is a bit of a misnomer... There are large pockets of the federal government still operating."
  — Stephen Fowler [02:26]
• "Congressional Budget Office put out this estimate of 750,000 civilians would be furloughed... that's roughly a third of the civilian workforce."
  — Andrea Hsu [03:37]
• "It is almost a full court press from the White House to try to pick all of these different things to get Democrats to budge."
  — Stephen Fowler [13:48]
• “As a federal worker, I am here to tell you that every awful thing that would happen in a shutdown—shuttering programs...damaging our economy, firing federal workers—all of this is already happening.”
  — Jenna Norton, NIH [11:35]
• "It does appear that OMB has updated its FAQ ... It does not mention furloughed employees anymore."
  — Andrea Hsu [15:29]
• "When the government shuts down...voters so far say [Republicans] share more of the blame for this shutdown situation. But we're seven days in out of who knows how many."
  — Stephen Fowler [16:23]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Who Works, Who Doesn’t: 02:26–03:37
• Scale of Furloughs: 03:37–04:25
• Paycheck Deadlines & Pressure: 04:25–05:14
• Service Disruptions (Airports, VA, etc.): 05:21–06:20
• Layoffs: Rumors & Reality: 07:40–10:01
• Federal Worker Defiance: 11:05–12:04
• Congressional Stalemate: 12:22–14:10
• Retroactive Pay Uncertainty: 14:10–16:06
• Public Opinion: 16:06–16:58

Summary

The episode presents a detailed, on-the-ground look at how this government shutdown is impacting federal employees, the ripple effect on public services, and the shifting politics of shutdown standoffs. While the mechanics of shutdowns are familiar—furloughs, delayed paychecks, degraded services—this time is marked by hardened stances in Congress, novel White House tactics targeting worker pay, and a segment of the federal workforce more willing to endure hardship in the name of systemic change.

The episode combines policy explanation, personal testimony, and evolving headlines, making it a valuable snapshot for anyone seeking to understand not just what this shutdown means, but why it matters right now.