{"id":29230,"date":"2026-01-06T18:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T18:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=29230"},"modified":"2026-01-06T18:40:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T18:40:00","slug":"trump-gifts-most-federal-workers-additional-time-off-with-pay-for-holidays-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=29230","title":{"rendered":"Trump Gifts Most Federal Workers Additional Time Off With Pay for Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"

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President Donald Trump is granting most federal employees two additional days off around Christmas under an executive order signed Thursday afternoon.\u00a0The order gives eligible federal workers leave on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26, effectively creating a five-day holiday break when combined with Christmas Day and the weekend,\u00a0Fox News reported.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAll executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, 2025, the day before and the day following Christmas Day, respectively,\u201d the order stated.<\/p>\n

The move marks the first time in recent years that federal employees have been granted two additional days off around Christmas. Presidents have typically authorized either the day before or the day after the holiday, but granting both is far less common.<\/p>\n

The executive order notes that agency heads may require certain offices to remain open for reasons of \u201cnational security, defense, or other urgent public need.\u201d It also specifies that the additional days off are to be treated like federal holidays for purposes of pay and leave rules, Fox noted.<\/p>\n

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The order directs the Office of Personnel Management to take the necessary steps to implement the policy across the federal workforce.<\/p>\n

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Last year, then-President Joe Biden granted federal employees Christmas Eve off. During Trump\u2019s first term, federal employees received an extra day off for Christmas Eve in 2018, 2019 and 2020.<\/p>\n

When Christmas last fell on a Thursday in 2014, former President Barack Obama granted only Friday, Dec. 26, as a day off, leaving Wednesday as a regular workday, Fox added.<\/p>\n

During his nationwide speech Wednesday evening,\u00a0Trump announced\u00a0that his administration would be paying out a one-time bonus of $1,776 to U.S. military personnel to signify the year the Continental Congress declared America\u2019s independence from Great Britain.<\/p>\n

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The bonuses come months before the nation\u2019s 250th birthday: July 4, 2026.<\/p>\n

During his address, Trump implied that the bonuses had been planned for some time but had been kept under wraps.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlong with the just passed one Big Beautiful bill, tonight, I am also proud to announce that more than 1450 thousand \u2014 think of this: 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special \u2014 we call it warrior dividend, before Christmas, a warrior dividend,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn honor of our nation\u2019s founding in 1776, we are sending every soldier $1776. Think of that. And the checks are already on the way. Nobody understood that one until about 30 minutes ago,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, the Senate sent a significant defense package to President Trump, completing one of the last major legislative tasks for the year.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers came together to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a comprehensive $901 billion bill packed with defense policies that allocate funding for several of the Trump administration\u2019s national defense priorities.<\/p>\n

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The measure received strong bipartisan support, passing the upper chamber with a vote of 77-20. This legislative exercise is an annual routine for Congress, typically wrapping up the year without much controversy.<\/p>\n