KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Saturday, the U.S. House unanimously voted 407-0, to provide back pay for furloughed federal workers. The Senate still must approve the bill for federal workers to be guaranteed compensation.
On Friday, the White House said the President would sign the measure. While this bill guarantees retroactive pay, federal workers won’t get their paychecks until after the shutdown ends. Also, most civilian workers who were furloughed within the defense department will be asked to return to work next week. That accounts for about half of all furloughed federal workers.
The fact that federal workers could be compensated for time off is stirring up some controversy.
Some critics call it nothing more than a “paid-vacation.” One of FOX 4’s Facebook viewers writes:
“Let me understand this: When the federal employees go back to work…we will pay them overtime for them to get ‘caught-up’ because of the shutdown and pay them for being off too! So basically, it’s paid time off plus OT…”
There is a response to these people–who believe retroactive pay is the only fair solution.
“How would they like it if tomorrow they were told they couldn’t work anymore? Wouldn’t they want to be able to provide for their families still? It makes sense to me,” said Austin Clift.
“In a way they’re right. They aren’t working and they are still getting paid, but they have to understand these people didn’t ask to not work and they didn’t ask for the government to shut down on them,” said Taylor Euler.
