Mike Johnson: "Of course" we'd give back pay to federal workers

"Johnson wasn't familiar with the latest argument from the Trump administration that Congress would need to appropriate the funds. But Johnson emphasized that he would move to ensure workers get back pay if necessary. "My understanding is federal law has always been pretty settled on that, and it's always custom that furloughed federal employees get back pay," he told Axios."

"State of play: An OMB draft memo, first reported by Axios' Marc Caputo, argued that furloughed federal workers aren't automatically entitled to pay for their time off during a shutdown. In emails from the 2019 government shutdown, also first reported by Axios, OMB noted that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) was quietly amended days after passage to clarify that back pay isn't automatic. According to OMB's interpretation of the law, Congress would need to explicitly authorize the funds, which Johnson indicated he's prepared to do."

"The intrigue: Johnson's comments put him at odds with the White House. President Trump told reporters Tuesday that some federal workers "don't deserve to be taken care of." At a press conference Wednesday, Johnson said that federal workers "should not be subjected to harm and financial dire straits because Chuck Schumer wants to play political games.""

Johnson said he was not familiar with the administration's latest argument that Congress must appropriate funds for furloughed workers but emphasized he would move to ensure back pay if necessary. He stated that federal law and customary practice support back pay for furloughed employees. OMB produced a draft memo and emails asserting that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act was amended to clarify that back pay is not automatic and that Congress would need to explicitly authorize funds. Johnson indicated he is prepared to seek such authorization. He contrasted his position with comments from the White House about certain workers.

Read at Axios