Congressional staff warned of first missed paycheck amid shutdown
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The U.S. Capitol on Sept. 29. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
U.S. House staffers were warned by congressional administrators Wednesday that their October paychecks will not be sent out if the government remains shut down into November, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: It is yet another painful consequence of the shutdown — and one that hits particularly close to home for the lawmakers in both parties who have dug in to their positions.
- "The next U.S. House of Representatives paycheck covering the pay period October 1-31, 2025, is scheduled to be paid by direct deposit on Friday, October 31," House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor wrote in a memo obtained by Axios.
- "Since appropriations legislation was not enacted, the October 31st paycheck will be delayed until after the date of enactment," she said.
Zoom in: The memo also warned that Congress' educational assistance program will be similarly unfunded for the duration of the shutdown.
- That means staffers' student loans will not be paid off directly by the program as is usually the case, with Szpindor telling staff to "contact your lender to make alternate payment arrangements."
- The memo said paychecks and loan payments will go out as soon as Congress passes a bill to reopen the government.
What they're saying: "Shutdowns are hard ... especially for congressional staff, many of whom aren't getting paid very much, especially for the hours that they put in," said Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.).
- Walkinshaw, a former House chief of staff who represents many congressional employees in the Virginia suburbs, added that credit unions are "doing everything that they can to support folks with low-interest loans."
- "But there's no way around it," he said, "it's just really hard."
Go deeper: Civilian employees at several federal agencies miss their first full paycheck
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
