Trump signs law guaranteeing back pay for federal workers

[PoliticAverse]

Source: The Hill

President Trump on Wednesday signed a bill guaranteeing back-pay to federal workers furloughed during the partial government shutdown that began in December.

The White House announced that Trump has signed the bill in a brief statement Wednesday afternoon as the partial shutdown dragged into its 26th day.

Trump had been expected to sign the law after both he and Vice President Mike Pence indicated support for the measure while it was still in Congress.

The legislation was a moment of rare bipartisan agreement between Trump and the new Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, which has refused to comply with the White House's request for more than $5 billion in funding for construction of a border wall in any bill to reopen the government.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/425725-trump-signs-law-guaranteeing-back-pay-for-federal-workers

[DURHAM D]

1. How long has it been on his desk? nt

[marylandblue]

3. two days nt

[PoliticAverse]

4. 2 days...

01/14/2019 Presented to President.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/24/actions

[DURHAM D]

5. Thanks.

Interesting that it started in the Senate.

[sakabatou]

2. Meanwhile, he'll drag out the furlough as long as possible

so it can hurt as many people as he can.

[customerserviceguy]

6. Trying to have it both ways n/t

[cstanleytech]

7. That wont put food in their or their childrens stomachs nor does it pay the rent.

[mastermind]

8. so tax payers are footing the bill for the biggest employer in the us

to pay for the longest paid vacation in history, bet that pisses of the koch brothers and libertarians.

[Scruffy1]

10. I don't think the furloughed grt backpay if their not working.

Oops, me bad, it looks like that was in the thing he signed.

[PoliticAverse]

14. Yes, furloughed employees specifically are mentioned as being paid.

(2) Each employee of the United States Government or of a District of Columbia public employer furloughed as a result of a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period of the lapse in appropriations, and each excepted employee who is required to perform work during a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for such work, at the employee's standard rate of pay, at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.

[B Stieg]

9. It's the least he could do.

This shutdown is quickly becoming a disaster.

[Bayard]

11. I'm sure

That will be a great comfort to people living in their cars....

[IronLionZion]

12. Jack shit for contractors on unpaid work stoppage

whose companies have found efficiencies and cut costs by not paying employees who are unable to bill the government.

[UpInArms]

13. Hard-up federal workers seek jobless benefits, dip into retirement funds to pay bills as shutdown dr

Hard-up federal workers seek jobless benefits, dip into retirement funds to pay bills as shutdown drags on

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/hard-up-federal-workers-apply-for-jobless-benefits-dip-into-retirement-funds-to-pay-bills-as-shutdown-drags-on-2019-01-17?mod=newsviewer_click

For some individuals and families, it’s evidently a financial bridge too far, especially following the holiday season. They still have to put food on the table, pay their utility bills, meet college tuition for their kids and make rent or mortgage payments.

Some government workers who need financial help can probably get by with smaller jobless benefits provided by a separate claims program for federal employees. These workers do have to pay the money back if they eventually get reimbursed for time not worked during the shutdown.

President Trump signed a bill on Wednesday that provides for back pay.

Yet others who’ve dipped into their retirement accounts likely have bigger bills that a modest federal unemployment benefit would not be able to meet.

The federal workers in the worst position are the 400,000 or so required to work unpaid because they are considered essential employees. They aren’t eligible to apply for a weekly stipend under the federal claims program.