The Trump administration is warning federal workers furloughed in the government shutdown that they may not get back pay once the funding impasse ends, which some lawmakers are decrying as illegal. A memo prepared by the Office of Management and Budget says a 2019 law signed by President Donald Trump guaranteeing retroactive pay after a shutdown did not apply to employees who have been temporarily asked not to report to work.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that back pay depends on who we're talking about and that some workers don't deserve to be taken care of. About 750,000 employees are currently foregoing their regular pay as the shutdown nears the end of its first week.
The top Democrat in the US House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, disagreed with Trump's interpretation, asserting that The law is clear — every single furloughed federal employee is entitled to back pay, period.
After the shutdown began on 1 October, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are locked in a standoff, each introducing resolutions to reopen the government that have repeatedly failed due to different priorities.
The OMB memo, first reported by US media, has drawn criticism from lawmakers on both sides. It claims that while essential workers must be paid, those who were furloughed have no guaranteed compensation. Senator Mark Warner labeled the memo totally illegal, while some Republicans expressed skepticism about Trump's stance on back pay.
The situation raises essential questions about the implications for workers caught in the political crossfire as Congress debates a resolution to end the shutdown.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that back pay depends on who we're talking about and that some workers don't deserve to be taken care of. About 750,000 employees are currently foregoing their regular pay as the shutdown nears the end of its first week.
The top Democrat in the US House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, disagreed with Trump's interpretation, asserting that The law is clear — every single furloughed federal employee is entitled to back pay, period.
After the shutdown began on 1 October, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are locked in a standoff, each introducing resolutions to reopen the government that have repeatedly failed due to different priorities.
The OMB memo, first reported by US media, has drawn criticism from lawmakers on both sides. It claims that while essential workers must be paid, those who were furloughed have no guaranteed compensation. Senator Mark Warner labeled the memo totally illegal, while some Republicans expressed skepticism about Trump's stance on back pay.
The situation raises essential questions about the implications for workers caught in the political crossfire as Congress debates a resolution to end the shutdown.
