A new draft memo from the White House's budget office says furloughed federal workers aren't automatically entitled to back pay after the current government shutdown—contradicting widespread assumptions and prior guidance from other parts of the administration. The memo obtained by the Washington Post argues that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, passed in 2019 during the last shutdown, doesn't guarantee post-shutdown compensation unless Congress specifically provides the funds.
- The White House points to a tweak made to the law nine days after President Trump signed it, which added language stating furloughed workers shall be compensated "subject to the enactment of appropriations Acts ending the lapse." The Office of Management and Budget's interpretation is that whatever legislation Congress passes to end the shutdown must also contain language appropriating money for furloughed workers' backpay.