Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced a bill to pay furloughed federal workers. Jose Luis Magana/AP
Senate Passes Back Pay Bill for Furloughed Feds, Trump Says He Will Sign It
Move is aimed at “easing anxiety” among affected employees.
The Senate voted unanimously Thursday evening to provide back pay to federal employees furloughed as a result of the ongoing partial government shutdown, and President Trump indicated he would sign it.
“When we reopen, they will be paid,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who backed the legislation.
Federal employees deemed excepted from the furloughs at affected agencies and who have been required to work during the shutdown are already guaranteed back pay when the agencies reopen. Furloughed workers, though, don’t get paid unless Congress acts to approve it.
Federal employees at shuttered agencies will miss their first paychecks on Friday.
Before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the floor and said, “I had an opportunity to talk to President Trump a few moments ago, and wanted to indicate to our colleagues that he will sign the bill that we’ve been discussing here to guarantee that government workers who’ve been displaced as a result of the shutdown will ultimately be compensated, and so I want to ease their anxiety about that particular possibility.”