The federal government shut down at midnight on Wednesday, Oct. 1, after Congress failed to reach an agreement in a bitter standoff over funding the government.

The shutdown means hundreds of thousands of workers are furloughed, but some lawmakers and the president will continue to receive their salaries.

It's the 15th shutdown since 1981, and there’s no immediate end in sight as congressional Democrats demand health care policy changes that Trump and Republicans have refused to entertain.

The government will remain shuttered until Congress can agree on federal funding allocations. Lawmakers could also pass a temporary spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (or CR, for short), to buy more time for negotiations.

During a government shutdown, all federal agencies and services deemed "non-essential" stop working with employees furloughed and sent home without pay until matters are resolved.

How does government shutdown impact the White House?

The White House, during past shutdowns, furloughed a significant portion of its staff. Essential offices, like the National Security Council, will continue operating, while others will be scaled back.

Is the president paid during government shutdown?

The president’s salary of $400,000 per year is generally not affected by a shutdown.

"With regard to the President’s pay, Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution forbids the salary of the President to be reduced while he or she is in office, thus effectively guaranteeing the President of compensation regardless of any shutdown action," reads a 2018 Congressional Research Service report.

During his first term, Trump donated his presidential salary to various departments and agencies and says he plans on doing the same during this term as well.

Do members of Congress get paid during government shutdown?

Lawmakers will continue to receive paychecks during a shutdown under Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which protects Congress' pay.

“The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States," the Constitution states.

While members of Congress are expected to receive their paychecks, some lawmakers such as Sen. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-New Jersey) and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Florida), say they will not take compensation during the shutdown.

“It’s wrong that the President and Members of Congress get paid during a government shutdown when our military and public servants don’t,” Kim said in a statement to NBC News. “I will be refusing my own pay if we end up in a shutdown. Government leaders shouldn’t be playing with other people’s chips.”

Cammack, in her letter to the House’s chief administrator dated Sept. 30 and shared on X, said if the military is not being paid, "neither should Members of Congress."

Gottheimer echoed his colleagues' views.

“If our service members and federal workers won’t get paid because of Trump and far-right extremists, Members of Congress shouldn’t either,” Gottheimer wrote on X. “I’ll keep fighting to lower health care costs and work across the aisle to keep the government open.”

Some Congress staffers, meanwhile, will be furloughed, though essential personnel will still work.

Most representatives and senators are paid $174,000 a year, according to Congress' website, with the exceptions being the House speaker, who receives $223,500 annually; and the Senate president pro tempore and the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate, who are each paid $193,400.

Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., Jeremy Yurow and Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY / Reuters

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Do Trump and Congress still get paid during a shutdown? What to know.

Reporting by Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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