Legislation recently passed by Congress to guarantee back pay to federal employees after the conclusion of the shutdown was signed into law today.
The bill’s author, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), teased that it would be in a tweet. The White House confirmed that President Trump did in fact sign the bill when it issued the following statement:
On Wednesday, January 16, 2019, the President signed into law:
S. 24, the “Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019,” which requires the compensation of government employees for wages lost, work performed, or leave used during a lapse in appropriations that begins on or after December 22, 2018, and entitles excepted employees to use leave during a lapse in appropriations.
Cardin made the announcement earlier today that the bill would be signed on Twitter:
In 1 hour, @POTUS will sign my bill guaranteeing back pay for federal workers into law.
This is an important step toward providing our civil servants with some stability and hope. But it doesn’t help pay the bills *now.* To do that, we MUST reopen the government. #EndTheShutdown
— Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) January 16, 2019
The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (S. 24) passed Congress on January 11, and President Trump had indicated he would sign it once it did.
The legislation stipulates that federal employees will be paid at their standard rates of pay and at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.
It also says that federal employees who were furloughed will receive back pay for not only the current shutdown but future shutdowns as well.
