1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

I’m asking you to defend the rights of America’s federal workers — men and women who show up every day to keep our nation safe, secure, and functioning — from being denied the back pay they’ve earned during this shutdown. The Office of Management and Budget is pushing a new “legal theory” that twists the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (GEFTA) to claim that back pay isn’t guaranteed after a shutdown. Under this view, the administration could decide who gets paid and who doesn’t. That’s not what the law says. Congress passed GEFTA so that no federal employee would lose pay because of political standoffs they have no control over. Every past administration has honored that principle. Now, OMB has quietly deleted prior guidance promising back pay and is preparing to leave thousands of working Americans in the lurch. President Trump has even suggested that he might “pick and choose” which federal employees get paid. That’s wrong. Paychecks should never depend on who’s in favor or out of favor with any administration. Fairness and loyalty go both ways. Congress must: • Reaffirm that the law still guarantees full back pay to all furloughed and excepted employees. • Add clear language to any funding bill to remove all doubt. • Demand public hearings to ensure no political interference in workers’ pay. These are not faceless bureaucrats — they are air traffic controllers, VA nurses, and law enforcement officers. They upheld their oath and did their jobs. Congress must uphold the law and make sure they’re paid what they are owed.