During the Shutdown Only 40% of Federal Employees - Including the President and Vice President - Are Getting Paid

Who is still getting paid during the government shutdown

• Members of Congress: 535
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• President and Vice President: 2
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• Article III judges (including the 9 Supreme Court Justices): about 870 nationwide

Their pay is constitutionally protected and continues during a shutdown.

Who is not getting paid

• Civilian federal workforce: about 2.29 million total
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• ~670,000 are furloughed (not working)
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• ~730,000 are excepted (still working but unpaid until funding returns)
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• ~890,000 are exempt (their agencies have existing funding, so they continue to be paid)
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• Military: about 1.3 million active-duty personnel (plus Guard and Reserves).
• Some early paychecks were covered through special measures, but future pay is uncertain if the shutdown continues.

The imbalance

Roughly 1,400 top officials—members of Congress, the President, Vice President, and federal judges—are still getting paid.

Among the civilian workforce, more than 60%—about 1.4 million people—are not.

The remaining ~40% (those in already-funded programs) continue to receive paychecks.

What this means

You’ll see calls for donations to help military families, park rangers, or weather forecasters. But remember: we already pay their wages through taxes. They don’t need charity—they need a government that honors its commitments.

You can’t afford to pay their wages twice—once in taxes and again through donations.
But you can vote for leaders who respect public servants—civilian and military alike—and ensure their work is met with stable paychecks, not political brinkmanship.