Bernd Debusmann Jrat the White House
The Trump administration is looking for alternative ways to ensure federal law enforcement officers are paid as the government shutdown enters its third week.
With Democrats and Republicans locked in a stalemate over the shutdown, officials in government are exploring alternative ways of paying for some key programmes, including a food programme for women and children.
Members of the US military, meanwhile, will be paid using funds previously allocated to the Pentagon following an order from President Donald Trump.
Thousands of federal workers have already been laid off, with Vice-President JD Vance warning of further “painful” cuts should the shutdown continue.
On Tuesday, the Senate voted for an eighth time to fund the government, but failed to advance Republicans’ stopgap budget in a 49 to 45 vote.
It is unclear how much money would be necessary to ensure that all federal law enforcement officers are paid.
In response to a query from the BBC, a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget – or OMB – confirmed that it is examining alternative ways to ensure those payments continue.
Like military personnel, federal law enforcement officers are considered “essential” and are still expected to report for duty, even without pay.
They include officers from the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), US Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
‘Your appointment’s rescheduled’: Shutdown cancels citizenship ceremoniesWhy the US government has shut down and what happens nowSeparately, on Saturday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had directed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to get members of the military paid on 15 October, when they would have their pay withheld.
While Trump provided no further details on where that money would be drawn from, an OMB spokesperson told the BBC that the funds would come from an amount previously allocated for defence research and development that is available for two years.
Approximately 750,000 federal employees – about 40% of the total workforce – have so far been furloughed or sent home without pay.
The administration has begun layoffs at least seven agencies, totalling about 4,000 workers so far.
With both US political parties continuing to blame each other for the shutdown, the Trump administration has said it is seeking new ways to ensure that some essential services continue.
On Sunday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her department had found an “innovative” way to ensure members of the Coast Guard continue to be paid, although she provided no further details.
Administration officials have also said tariff revenue would be used to fund the Special Supplementation Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC.
More than 6.5m people across the country benefit from the programme, which provides food to women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or postpartum, as well as infants and children up to five years of age.
The National WIC Association, however, said in a statement that the measure “is not a permanent solution” and that a prolonged shutdown could put millions of recipients at risk.
Congressional Democrats are reportedly planning to introduce a bill that would ensure the programme remains fully funded, with Virginia Democrat Robert Scott telling the Guardian that it should be “immune to the vagaries of the annual budget process”.
