AMY GOODMAN: The U.S. government shutdown has entered its second week. A draft memo is circulating in the White House stating hundreds of thousands of workers who have been furloughed due to the government shutdown may not automatically receive their pay once the government reopens. The memo reportedly claims Congress must approve new funding for the workers to get paid despite a 2019 law requiring furloughed workers be paid. On Tuesday, Trump said some workers, quote, “don’t deserve to be taken care of.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration has warned of staffing shortages at numerous airports. Union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security screeners said the situation is due to get worse as the shutdown drags on.

Democratic lawmakers are holding to their demands that Republicans agree to extend healthcare subsidies from the Affordable Care Act and reverse cuts to Medicaid.

Earlier this week, Republican Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene made headlines for breaking with the GOP on healthcare costs. She wrote online, quote, “I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district,” she said. She went on to write, “I’m absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year,” unquote.

We go now to Capitol Hill, where we’re joined by Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna of California.

Let’s begin there. If you can go back to why there is a government shutdown and what the Democrats are demanding?

REP. RO KHANNA: First of all, Amy, the Republicans could open government today. They have the majority in the Senate. They have the majority in the House. They have the presidency. They have passed and approved Trump’s presidential appointees on a 51 vote in the Senate. They have approved Trump’s judges on a 51 vote in the Senate. Then, why can’t we have a 51-vote filibuster exception to keep government open? I have been consistent in advocating for the filibuster to be done away with. So, the idea that they’re blaming Democrats is absurd, and no one believes it.

If they want Democratic votes, then they need to make sure that healthcare premiums don’t double for ordinary Americans. I mean, the reality is that the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire, and that’s going to mean healthcare premiums for 24 million Americans literally double.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Ro Khanna, this threat of President Trump to not pay furloughed workers, could you talk about that, the legality of that?

REP. RO KHANNA: To not pay? I’m sorry, I didn’t catch the phrase. To not pay for?

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: The threat of President Trump to possibly not pay the back pay for furloughed workers?

REP. RO KHANNA: Oh, yes. Well, yes. I mean, look, Trump is threatening to lay off workers illegally. He’s threatening not to pay back pay for hard-working folks who are keeping our airports running, who are in our parks and keeping our parks operational. This has never happened before in modern times in a shutdown. We always pay our troops. We always pay essential workers. And Trump is threatening both to lay them off illegally and not to pay them.

By the way, Johnson hasn’t called Congress in session to pay our troops. And the reason he hasn’t called Congress in session is because he’s so afraid of swearing in Adelita Grijalva, who’s going to be on your program. And the reason is, Adelita Grijalva would be the 218th signature on my and Thomas Massie’s discharge petition for the release of the Epstein files. So, instead of paying our troops, instead of trying to vote to get government open, Johnson has just said, “No votes. Go home. We don’t want to have anything to do with the Epstein files.”