The federal government’s partial shutdown reached its 15th day on Wednesday, Oct. 15, after the U.S. Senate failed for the eighth time to get enough votes to overcome a budget impasse. Meanwhile, the White House Office of Management and Budget vowed “to batten down the hatches and ride out” the shutdown while continuing layoffs.

“Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait,” the budget office said in a post on X.

For members of the military, Wednesday is payday, and President Donald Trump has insisted that active-duty troops should be paid regardless of the government shutdown.

In a Truth Social post on Oct. 11, Trump said he is using his authority as commander in chief to direct Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to “use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th.

The president did not identify funding sources or the total amount that would be used for troop salaries, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

Is the federal government still shut down?

Yes, the federal government remains largely shut down and has been since just after midnight on Oct. 1.

More than 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed and ordered not to report to work. Employees deemed essential to public safety, including military personnel, law enforcement officers and air traffic controllers, among others, must work without pay until a budget deal is reached.

What do Democrats and Republicans want for the government to reopen?

Democrats are pushing to ensure tax breaks for 24 million Americans who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act (referred to as “Obama Care”) and have refused to back a government spending bill that doesn’t address the issue.

The Senate Dems want to make the tax break permanent, which would otherwise expire at the end of the year, and provide reassurances to prevent the Trump administration from temporarily withholding funds.

Republicans and the president say they are open to considering a fix for the expiring ACA tax breaks, but want the issue addressed separately from the ongoing budget impasse. Republicans have also claimed that the Democratic proposal could partially pay for health coverage for people who are in the country illegally. That’s not true, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

What happens to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid?

The Social Security Administration will continue to issue retirement and disability benefits, but will furlough 12% of its staff and pause marketing campaigns, according to the agency’s shutdown plan.

Payments will likewise continue under the Medicare and Medicaid health programs.

Does the U.S. mail get delivered?

The U.S. Postal Service is open because it does not depend on Congress for funding, USPS said in a statement.

What about the airports?

More than 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are still required to show up for work during the shutdown.

Will food aid continue under SNAP and WIC?

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the nation’s largest food aid program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, will continue operations during a shutdown as funds allow, according to a shutdown planning document published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

On Oct. 7, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a social media post that the White House had found a “creative way” to continue funding WIC through tariff revenue. On Oct. 9, the Associated Press reported that $300 million in unspent tariff revenue and leftover funding from other programs was infused into the program.

What does a shutdown mean for the military?

While 1.3 active-duty military may get paid on Wednesday, Oct. 15, roughly 55% of the Defense Department’s 740,000 civilian employees have been furloughed, including those involved in training, procurement and administrative support. Civilians working in cybersecurity, medical care, weapons systems maintenance, intelligence, and logistics are still working and are not included in Trump’s order to pay active-duty personnel.

National Guard forces that Trump has deployed to U.S. cities must also continue to work.

What about Homeland Security, immigration and border officers?

Only 5% of the Department of Homeland Security’s 271,000 workers have been furloughed, including those involved in research, planning, training, and auditing.

Secret Service agents, immigration and border officers, airport security screeners, Coast Guard personnel, and Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency workers remain on the job.

The shutdown, the 15th since 1981, is on track to become the fourth-longest in U.S. history, eclipsing the twelve-day shutdown in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter. The longest shutdown lasted 35 days during Trump’s first term, from 2018 to 2019.

Contributors: USA TODAY’s Joey Garrison, Bart Jansen, Melina Khan, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Michelle Del Rey, Zachary Schermele, Mike Snider and Mary Walrath-Holdridge

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is the US government still closed? Here's what we know on Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Reporting by Terry Moseley, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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