Knowing you're going to be paid doesn't pay the bills.
Government workers get paid once a month. He got his last check on time so if he didn’t pay his bills this month, it’s not the shutdown’s fault. If he doesn’t get his next month’s check, then he can start complaining but not until then.
If he don’t have a few months’ cushion, then he has more problems than a possible late check. If I can manage a month on what he probably makes in a week, then don’t even attempt to lecture about hard times.