White House floats denying back pay to some furloughed federal workers
The White House is circulating a draft OMB memo and President Trump publicly signaled support for an argument that some furloughed federal workers might not automatically receive retroactive pay when the current shutdown ends—contradicting the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 and prior OPM guidance. NPR reports the draft memo was first described by Axios, notes OPM guidance dated Sept. 30 referenced automatic retroactive pay (a paragraph later removed in an Oct. 3 update), and quotes Trump saying the outcome "depends on who we're talking about," while the dispute forms part of a pressure campaign to force a clean continuing resolution.
Politics
Government/Regulatory
📌 Key Facts
- The NPR story (Oct. 7, 2025) says the White House is considering a draft OMB memo arguing Congress must enact appropriations to trigger back pay despite the 2019 law.
- The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 added language that 'shall be paid' furloughed and excepted employees retroactively for lapses starting Dec. 22, 2018; OPM guidance on Sept. 30, 2025 referenced that automatic restoration.
- An OPM/OMB paragraph referencing automatic restoration was present in the Sept. 30 guidance but removed in a version updated Oct. 3, 2025; President Trump commented on Oct. 7 that some furloughed workers 'don't deserve' to be taken care of.
📚 Contextual Background
- Furloughed federal employees typically return to work and receive back pay once Congress resolves a government shutdown.
- A continuing resolution (CR) is a short-term funding measure used to keep the federal government open temporarily while Congress completes the appropriations process.