President Donald Trump said he will “soon” sign an executive order aimed at ensuring Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees are paid as a government shutdown drags on, according to NBC News. The announcement targets DHS workers who are either working without pay as “excepted” employees or are furloughed during the lapse in appropriations.
- What Trump said: Trump told reporters he plans to sign an order to pay DHS employees during the shutdown, NBC News reported.
- Who it affects: DHS personnel, including employees required to work during a shutdown (often called excepted employees) and those placed on furlough, according to NBC News’ account of the proposal.
- Why DHS is in focus: DHS includes operational components tied to border security, immigration enforcement, transportation security, cybersecurity, and emergency response—missions that often continue even during funding gaps.
- What’s not yet clear: NBC News reported Trump did not provide details on timing, mechanics, or which DHS categories would be covered, and it was not immediately clear how an order would interact with existing shutdown pay rules.
- Pay status during a lapse: During a shutdown, excepted employees may be required to work but typically do not receive pay until funding is restored; furloughed employees generally do not work and also go unpaid until appropriations resume, under standard federal shutdown practice.
- Back pay baseline: In recent shutdowns, Congress has typically passed legislation providing retroactive back pay to federal employees after the shutdown ends; NBC News framed Trump’s move as an attempt to address pay sooner for DHS workers.
Context:
The shutdown stems from a lapse in appropriations, which halts funding for affected agencies and triggers furloughs and unpaid work for excepted staff. DHS is among the departments with large numbers of employees performing functions that may be deemed necessary for safety and security, meaning many can be required to remain on the job even when paychecks stop. NBC News reported Trump’s statement as the shutdown continued, with DHS employees facing uncertainty about when they would be paid.
For employees trying to understand how a shutdown can affect pay status, leave, and back pay rules, see FedBrief’s shutdown policy explainer: https://fedbrief.org/ (shutdown coverage and guidance).
Source: NBC News, “Trump says he’ll sign order to pay DHS employees as shutdown drags on” (Politics), https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-says-sign-order-pay-dhs-employees-shutdown-rcna266422