Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

White House May Try to Deny Back Pay to Furloughed Federal Workers
The New York Times ^ | Oct. 7, 2025Updated 12:52 p.m. ET | Tony Romm

Posted on 10/07/2025 11:14:34 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers may not automatically receive back pay once the government reopens, the White House indicated in a draft memo, prompting broad fears that the Trump administration might try to circumvent federal law to maximize the pain of the shutdown.

The memo, which was shared by a White House official, could presage a radical break from a policy adopted during President Trump’s first term. It appeared to contradict some of the administration’s own guidance, which by Tuesday still indicated that furloughed employees would receive retroactive pay shortly after Congress strikes a funding deal.

Following the longest shutdown in history — a five-week closure that began under Mr. Trump at the end of 2018 — Congress adopted a law that guaranteed back pay for the millions of federal workers who often bear the financial brunt of funding lapses. That measure, known as the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, applied not only to that closure but future fiscal lapses, ending a major source of uncertainty for federal workers caught in the political fray.

Mr. Tump signed that measure into law in 2019. But his administration six years later now appears to have interpreted its guarantees much differently. In the draft memo, the White House budget office said that only the workers who are deemed as essential — military service members, air traffic controllers and others still working while the government is closed — are entitled to pay once the stalemate ends. For those who are furloughed, the White House memo lays out the case that Congress still must explicitly approve funding for the payments.

Union officials and Democratic lawmakers quickly blasted Mr. Trump for what they described as only the latest attempt to use federal workers as bargaining chips during the shutdown. The president separately has threatened...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Editorial; Government; Political Humor/Cartoons; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: demagogicparty; demagogue; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; fakenews; mediawingofthednc; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; panicporn; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; presstitutes; smearmachine; tds; tonyromm

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-55 next last

1 posted on 10/07/2025 11:14:34 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

If the workers are legally owed the money then they should be paid.


2 posted on 10/07/2025 11:16:16 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Notice how the New York Slimes use the word “MAY” in the title???


3 posted on 10/07/2025 11:17:09 AM PDT by JBW1949 (I'm really PC.....Patriotically Correct)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lastchance
If the workers are legally owed the money then they should be paid.

Furloughed workers not guaranteed back pay after shutdown, OMB claims

4 posted on 10/07/2025 11:17:57 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Je suis Charlie Kirk.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: lastchance

I agree. This would be a huge blunder, not only for that Administration but also for the Stupid Party.

Who thought this one up?


5 posted on 10/07/2025 11:20:23 AM PDT by sauropod
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

The words “may, might, could, maybe, appears, possibly” are used in almost every Slimes article against Trump or conservatives...


6 posted on 10/07/2025 11:20:25 AM PDT by JBW1949 (I'm really PC.....Patriotically Correct)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lastchance

Were they working? If they were I did not notice.


7 posted on 10/07/2025 11:21:00 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Why would they get paid?


8 posted on 10/07/2025 11:21:18 AM PDT by Kleon
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JBW1949
Notice how the New York Slimes use the word “MAY” in the title???

Did they leave out the "unnamed source"?

9 posted on 10/07/2025 11:21:27 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, the Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JBW1949
Notice how they said "maximize the pain of the shutdown?" <> Somebody is still feeling the sting from when Obama closed all the parks and memorials, and actually barracaded the WW2 Memorial to prevent veterans who were arriving on Honor Flights to see the memorial that was built for them.

The NYT is trying to set up a "both sides" equivalence here.

-PJ

10 posted on 10/07/2025 11:21:47 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; BraveMan; cardinal4; ...
TDS BS and DNC shillin' from the New York Slimes.

11 posted on 10/07/2025 11:21:58 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (NeverTrumpin' -- it's not just for DNC shills anymore -- oh, wait, yeah it is.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

They were on furlough because of the shutdown. They were kept from working, it was not their choice.


12 posted on 10/07/2025 11:24:29 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

OMB can claim that all they want. If they are weasling to avoid prior precedent and policy set by Trump previously that is wrong.

Rank and file workers should not be financial cannon fodder in Trump’s fight with Democratic congress critters.


13 posted on 10/07/2025 11:26:10 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
This is a NEW YORK SLIMES BULL$HIT news story designed to just stir up trouble!


14 posted on 10/07/2025 11:26:15 AM PDT by VideoDoctor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

I don’t see the problem here.

Plenty of agencies are actually closed, now. I went to some websites and they tell you that.

If I don’t report to work, why should I get paid?


15 posted on 10/07/2025 11:30:42 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sauropod

Thanks. This is not a good move by Trump. The Democrats who caused the shutdown will not suffer financially because of the shutdown. These workers have and will experience setbacks that they probably can ill afford. That is wrong and unfair.


16 posted on 10/07/2025 11:30:59 AM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: lastchance

If they didn’t work, why should they be paid?


17 posted on 10/07/2025 11:32:57 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: lastchance

This is a great way to get people to leave government.

If employees show up at a restaurant and it is closed that day, they don’t get paid, either.


18 posted on 10/07/2025 11:34:12 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Remember what President Trump said, they could close down entire agencies in a shutdown. It’s a nice way to make these gummit leaches quit with some perks in a package separation instead of getting fired and receive nothing.


19 posted on 10/07/2025 11:34:37 AM PDT by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lastchance

The republic comes first.

If they want back pay and need to show up to get it, get their butts into work.

If the law states that they are entitled to back pay regardless, then they should get it.

If the law doesn’t state that then taxpayers should not be used as cash cows.

The public does NOT exist to serve our public sector.

Lives, fortunes, and sacred honor time, public employees.

Pick a side: Our republic or Deep State.

Choose wisely.


20 posted on 10/07/2025 11:40:25 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-55 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson