More than 150 lawmakers, including Sens. Kaine, Van Hollen, and Murkowski, are demanding the Trump administration guarantee backpay for furloughed federal employees during the ongoing government shutdown. This demand arises because the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has suggested that the 2019 Government Employees Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) only authorizes, rather than guarantees, backpay, contradicting the lawmakers' interpretation and the law's intent. Lawmakers and legal experts argue GEFTA explicitly guarantees backpay, with any conditional language referring to when, not if, it's paid. They urge OMB to clarify and affirm furloughed workers' right to backpay to ease employee stress.
Read more: https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2025/10/dems-murkowski-demand-white-house-guarantee-backpay-furloughed-feds/408839/
