House Votes to Approve Backpay for Furloughed Federal Workers

It is the fifth day of the federal government shutdown began, members of the House came together in a moment of rare bipartisanship to pass a bill, by a vote of 407 to 0, approving back pay for furloughed government workers.

President Obama has expressed his support for the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid supports the measure, but said Saturday that if furloughed workers are guaranteed back pay, there’s no reason to keep them out of work.

“It’s really cruel to tell workers they’ll receive back pay once the government opens and then refuse to open the government,” Reid said on the Senate floor, suggesting that House Republicans have authorized a “paid vacation” for furloughed workers.

Washington Post

reply to post by darkbake


Also this:

The Department of Defense is ordering most of its furloughed civilian employees back to work, in a move announced just after midday Saturday. The plan will put hundreds of thousands of workers back on the job next week.

"Today, I am announcing that most DoD civilians placed on emergency furlough during the government shutdown will be asked to return to work beginning next week," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a statement.

Hagel said he believes the Pentagon can "significantly reduce — but not eliminate — civilian furloughs under this process," Defense News reports.

The recall would affect "most of the some 400,000 civilian Defense Department employees sent home during the government shutdown," Reuters reports, citing a U.S. Defense official.

NPR: Pentagon Recalls 'Most' Furloughed Civilian Workers

reply to post by darkbake


The people that can vote on that are the ones that deserve NO pay at all. The back pay for the others should start with taking away the pay of the Congress and President.

reply to post by darkbake


So it looks like things are starting to clear up a bit, and some messes are being taken care of, admittedly without passing the budget.

reply to post by BobM88


There was a 28th Amendment idea floating around that would require members of congress to be subject to their own laws, which entirely makes sense, as they are passing laws these days that they choose not to participate in - like Obama Care. I think if that Amendment was passed, it should also include a section about losing pay during a government shutdown.

reply to post by darkbake

There was a recent thread. I tried to look on recent topics and used the search function, but could not find it. But the headline to the topic was something like- 140 yr old law has politicians trembling... It's about a law passed that prohibited the gov't from spending money that congress cannot approve on. I wonder why I cannot find it in my search, it's a recent topic.

reply to post by w8tn4it


I think that thread was about a law in Washington State, I believe. I used to live there, so that's why I remembered - wait, I was wrong but I won the search that way ha!

The Thread You Were Looking For


Thanks to nighthawk1954

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Administration officials now live in fear of a 19th-century law that could get them fired, penalized or even imprisoned if they make the wrong choices while the government is shut down.

The law is the Antideficiency Act, passed by Congress in 1870 (and amended several times), which prohibits the government from incurring any monetary obligation for which Congress has not appropriated funds.

NBC News

Agree that the first pay that should be cut is Congress's.

If this is for back pay for those only furloughed since, what, Tuesday? Then I'm just laughing.

If it's back pay for those furloughed for longer who have still kept working, I have to question their sanity.

And finally, if there's no pain to anyone out of this, what's the freaking point? The whole childish game and who it really effects is so ridiculous it numbs the mind to think we are letting these idiots get away with any of it.

reply to post by ~Lucidity


I would go as far and say that for every day the goverment is shut down they lose a month of pay.
And if they rake up more penalty than there term? Well I would have them rake up debt they have to pay with there own money.

If they screw up....ruin them finically. Which is fair seeing as there screw ups can destroy the lifes of the everyday man.

And draconian punishments for corruption like in china would not go amiss.

You want such a vital positon of responsibilty? Well act responsible.