Federal government shut down For the first time since 2019 on Wednesday morning, many employees left to restore funding without payment.
TSA agent and Air Traffic Controller will be at work with thousands of others Essential workerThey also include those who keep social security operations.
Catch: Many essential employees will not be paid till funding resumes, meaning they can miss one or more salary, which depends on how long the shutdown lasts.
Hundreds of thousands of others Federal employee Relax themselves. But like those who are still working without salary, they guarantee back payments thanks 2019 law,
However, Congress members continue to be paid during a shutdown, as they do Postal workerSince the US Postal Service (USPS) is a self-funded, independent agency.
The situation is very low for federal contractors who are not employed directly by the government.
Will federal federal workers be paid?
Yes, finally. ,Government employee fair treatment act“All the federal employees of 2019 need to receive the retrospective salary once the operation is resumed once.
Congress Budget Office (CBO) It is estimated Around 750,000 employees can be inflated each day of shutdown at a total daily cost of about $ 400 million. Each agency decides who and how long, this number can be different.
For example, Social Security Administration (SSA) is expected to fake 6,197 out of 51,825 employees, according to which about 12% Casual planDepartment of Transport (DOT) Furls plan Of the total workforce of 53,717, 12,213 employees, about 23%.
Those who continue to work during the shutdown will also get salary back, as there is a delay in serving the service members, once again after starting.
The law requires compensation to employees on “the initial date” after the lapse ends, regardless of the payroll schedule.
Depending on the length of the shutdown, the furlogs and working employees can equally miss one or more of their regular paychek.
Since 1981, there are ten funding gaps of three days or less, mostly in a weekend when government operations were only minimal affected, According to the committee for a responsible federal budget (CRFB), a fiscal guards group.
But you can pull on the shutdown: In the first term of President Trump, a partial shutdown lasted for 35 days.
In 2013, 16-day shutdown eventually occurred $ 2.5 billion salary and profit Was working for hours working for hours.
Will Congress be paid during shutdown?
Yes. Congress members will do Still collect paycheake Because their salaries are considered compulsory expenses and necessary by the Constitution.
Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution State america: “Senators and representatives will receive a compensation for their services, will be detected by law, and will be paid from the Treasury of the United States.”
Since 1983, the salary of MPs has come from a permanent investment account, which means that it does not depend on the annual funding bill, According to Congress Research Service,
Most senators and representatives are paid $ 174,000 a year, unchanged a rate since 2009The exceptions are the President of the House ($ 223,500) and the President of the Senate Prof. Tempor and the House and the Senate are the majority and minority leaders ($ 193,400).
The President is also paid during a funding lapse, although Trump Said first He donates his government salary.
Some MPs from both sides have asked to withdraw their salary during the shutdown.
“If our army is not being paid, neither should the Congress members be there,” Rape Cat Camac (R-Flow) has written in a letter. Shared on social platform x,
Sen Andy Kim (DN.J.) also said that he will do Refuse his salary: “Government leaders should not play with other people’s chips.”
Federal contractors are not guaranteed to pay
Federal employees are guaranteed back salary, but are not contractor.
“Federal contractors have not historically received the salary back,” CRFB said in a recent report, “The premiums are included in their dialects for uncertainty in federal contractors sometimes to pay.”
In practice, the results will be different. Some private employers may continue to pay their workers, and the terms of the contract may vary from the agency to the agency.
As Politifact kept it: “Some private employers with federal contracts can find ways to pay their employees, but there is nothing in the federal law that requires it.”
Jim Malatras, Chief Strategy Officer in Fedcap Group – a non -profit organization with federal chowkidar and custodial contracts, which employs disabled people – said that Politifact will continue to pay their company workers “while we have money to do so.”
It is difficult to pin the total number of contractors, but Brookings estimate They now defeat more than two to one federal employees.
By 31 March, 2025, there were there About 2.3 million Federal Citizen Employees – A number that excludes post workers, employees of various intelligence agencies and employees of military personnel. For reference, the five largest US defense contractor Give employment to some 690,000 people – Long closure can underline how millions of contract workers can be affected.
