White House supports back pay for federal workers
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Md., center, spoke on Capitol Hill in Washington today during an event with the Democratic Progressive Caucus and furloughed federal employees blaming House Republicans on the government shutdown.
WASHINGTON » The Obama administration says it supports House legislation to give back pay to federal workers furloughed during the current partial government shutdown.
The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a statement commending Congress for moving quickly on the bill, which has bipartisan support.
The White House has opposed other piecemeal efforts by House Republicans to restore money to some functions of government during the partial shutdown. White House officials have said the House should reopen the entire government and not pick agencies and programs over others.
The budget office statement says the back-pay bill, quote, "will not address the serious consequences of the funding lapse, nor will a piecemeal approach to appropriations bills."
In the 1995-96 government shutdowns, furloughed workers were retroactively given full pay.
