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Legislative bills

Senators Introduce Legislation to Pay Furloughed Federal Workers and Contractors

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.), along with dozens of their Senate colleagues, have introduced legislation to ensure the timely payment of military personnel, federal employees, and federal contractors whose salaries have been interrupted by the ongoing government shutdown. The bill guarantees that both furloughed employees and those who have been excepted from furlough status will receive their standard pay, and requires that all employees receive any delayed compensation within one week of enactment. The legislation is supported by major federal employee unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

Key Takeaways:

  • The bill is introduced by Senators Chris Coons, Lisa Blunt Rochester, and Gary Peters, along with dozens of their Senate colleagues.
  • The legislation guarantees that both furloughed employees and those who have been excepted from furlough status will receive their standard pay.
  • The bill requires that all employees receive any delayed compensation within one week of enactment to ensure they are paid in a timely fashion.
  • The legislation has the support of major federal employee unions, including the AFGE, NFFE, IFPTE, and AFT.
  • Senator Coons called the bill "a simple matter of justice" and emphasized that Delaware's federal workers, contractors, and service men and women shouldn't have to suffer because of the Republican shutdown.
  • Senator Blunt Rochester stated that no federal worker should go without pay because Republicans refuse to end the government shutdown.
  • Senator Peters emphasized that the shutdown is not an accident and that federal workers are paying the price for Republican intransigence.
  • The bill has 112 cosponsors, including prominent Senators Patty Murray, Tim Kaine, Cory Booker, and Bernie Sanders.

Statistics:

  • Over 7,000 federal workers in Delaware are affected by the government shutdown.
  • Millions of federal employees and contractors across the country are being affected by the shutdown.
  • The bill would require all employees to receive delayed compensation within one week of enactment.
  • The legislation is supported by a majority of federal employee unions.
  • The AFGE has approximately 700,000 members.
  • The AFT has approximately 1.7 million members.

Sources:

  • U.S. Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
  • Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.)
  • Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
  • Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
  • Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)
  • Tina Smith (D-Minn.)
  • Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)
  • Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
  • Mark Warner (D-Va.)
  • Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
  • Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.)
  • Andy Kim (D-N.J.)
  • Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
  • Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
  • Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
  • John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)
  • Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.)
  • Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
  • Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
  • Angus King (I-Maine)
  • Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
  • Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
  • Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)
  • Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
  • Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
  • Peter Welch (D-Vt.)
  • Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.)
  • Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
  • Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
  • Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
  • Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)
  • Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)
  • Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
  • Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
  • Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
  • Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.)
  • Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
  • Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
  • Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
  • American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
  • National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE)
  • International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
  • American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

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