January 1, Trump Hints Furloughed Workers May Lose Pay

Wyatt’s Take

• President Trump says not all furloughed workers are guaranteed pay.
• Democrats are blamed for putting federal workers at risk.
• Back pay depends on a deal in Congress.

President Trump said some furloughed federal workers may not get back pay when the government reopens. There are 750,000 workers affected since the Senate failed to approve funding last week.

When asked if they would all get paid later, Trump answered, “It depends on who we’re talking about.”

He claimed, “The Democrats have put a lot of people in great risk and jeopardy…for the most part we’re going to take care of our people.”

But he added, “There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”

The Office of Management and Budget has a memo saying back pay isn’t automatic for furloughed workers. The memo looked at the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which called for compensating workers after funding lapses.

According to some, Congress must add funding in the final bill to pay these workers. Nonessential workers go home during shutdowns. Essential staff, like air traffic controllers, should get paid when funding is restored.

“Does this law cover all these furloughed employees automatically? The conventional wisdom is: Yes, it does. Our view is: No, it doesn’t,” a senior official said.

Republicans back a short-term bill with current spending levels, while Democrats want more spending. One official said, “This would not have happened if Democrats voted for the clean [continuing resolution].”

House Speaker Mike Johnson wants back pay for furloughed staff, but not everyone agrees. Johnson said, “There are legal analysts who think that that is not something that government should do.” He pressed for Democrats to “do the right thing here.”

The Trump administration has even considered using the shutdown to cut government jobs. Layoffs have not started, but agencies have been told to prepare for workforce cuts.

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Wyatt Matters

Hardworking Americans want a government that protects their paychecks, not one that gambles with their livelihoods. Folks across the heartland know the value of a fair deal and expect leaders to look out for their own.