The Trump administration is now claiming, through an OMB legal opinion, that the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act only authorizes backpay for furloughed federal workers and requires new appropriations for each shutdown, rather than automatically guaranteeing it. However, experts, the law's legislative history, and the administration's own previous statements and OPM guidance strongly contradict this interpretation, asserting that the law clearly guarantees backpay for all affected federal employees in future shutdowns.
Read more: https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2025/10/trump-administrations-claims-against-automatic-furloughed-worker-backpay-lack-legal-historical-basis/408665/
