Eyes On Washington: Shutdown Briefing – Day 15

Welcome to the Eyes on Washington: Shutdown Briefing. During the federal government shutdown, we will be sharing concise, client-focused updates to help you stay informed on key developments, legislative dynamics and potential impacts to your operations and federal engagement.

Breaking News

In conversations with reporters, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she understood where Democrats were coming from in their approach, as well as the associated mistrust of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials who are "just going to do a backdoor move and rescind what we've been working on." Sen. Murkowski also signed a letter, along with seven Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, to OMB Director Russell Vought, demanding back pay for furloughed employees.

Status Update 

Today marks Day 15 of the federal government shutdown, and negotiations on reopening the government remain stalled.

Congressional Activity

• House Speaker Mike Johnson designated October 14-19 as a "district work period." Under this designation, the House will not meet until October 20, unless a special legislative session is called. Members will be provided 48 hours' notice before any votes.
• On October 15, the Senate convened for a pro forma session, where the Republican-backed "clean CR" failed for an eighth time. The House did not meet. The next House pro forma session is scheduled for 2 p.m. on October 17.

Leadership Dynamics

• Democratic Leadership: Remains confident in its negotiating position on healthcare as the shutdown continues. After the Democratic Caucus meeting on the night of October 14, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that he did not believe Republicans would engage in good-faith negotiations without "permission" from President Donald Trump.
• Republican Leadership: Senate leaders are no longer allowing members to vote on the Democratic continuing resolution (CR), despite both proposals failing up to this point. On the House side, Speaker Johnson has said that he will continue to "plead with the American people to call their senators and ask them to do the right thing" by passing the Republican funding bill.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has filed cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 4016 (the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026) in a continued effort to move bipartisan funding bills forward. Republicans are also considering whether to try and attach other bipartisan appropriations bills to the defense appropriations bill and moving forward with a conference on a three-bill "minibus" that would include Agriculture, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs and Legislative Branch appropriations with the House.

• Bipartisan Engagement: With the House out of session and the Senate convening only on a pro forma basis, new bipartisan efforts to open the government continue to stall. 

Executive Branch Developments

• Presidential Engagement: President Trump used $8 billion in U.S. Department of Defense research and development funding to pay troops. The sum is enough to cover checks dated October 15 but will run out before the next pay day on October 29. It is not clear whether funds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will be used again, and the legality of the move is questionable.
• Federal Layoffs: Amid chaos at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where approximately half the staff who received reductions-in-force notices on October 10 are returning to work, a U.S. District Judge in San Francisco is set to hear preliminary arguments from the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Filings from the unions allege that the implementation of layoffs is an abuse of power by OMB. OMB Director Vought has indicated that upcoming layoffs may be 10,000 or more.
• Travel: The Transportation Security Administration confirmed that 95 percent of its workforce will continue to work during the shutdown, assuaging some concerns that passengers would bear the brunt of delayed or canceled flights. It also noted that officers calling in sick has not significantly disrupted operations.

Key Milestones Ahead

• October 15: U.S. service members, with the exception of the U.S. Coast Guard, are expected to miss their next paychecks if no resolution is reached.
• Mid-October: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may begin to experience funding shortfalls. The White House has indicated that it will use tariff revenue to temporarily sustain this program. 
• October 18: Nationwide demonstrations under the "No Kings" banner are planned, with some Republican leaders suggesting Democrats may face political pressure related to the protests. 
• October 20: Senate staff are projected to miss their first full paycheck. 
• October 31: House staff are expected to miss their paychecks. Members of U.S. Congress will continue to receive pay throughout the shutdown.
• November 7: Non-exempt federal employees will have worked one month without pay.

Strategic Considerations for Clients 

• Agency Engagement: Clients should anticipate delays in regulatory reviews, permitting and federal communications. 
• Contracting and Grants: Federal contractors may experience payment disruptions and limited access to agency personnel. 
• Policy Positioning: The shutdown may create new leverage points in legislative negotiations. Clients with interests in appropriations, healthcare, defense and infrastructure should monitor developments closely.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.