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NARFE Applauds President Trump for Signing Back Pay Bill for Federal Workers Furloughed Due to Shutdown

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (January 16, 2019) – In response to the president signing into law the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, NARFE National President Ken Thomas issued the following statement:

“Every day, this shutdown imposes unnecessary and preventable financial hardship on federal employees who endure the uncertainty and real economic costs of delayed paychecks. NARFE applauds President Trump for signing into law the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act so that furloughed and working federal employees promptly receive back pay once the shutdown ends. While the longest shutdown in American history continues with no end in sight, this law provides some sense of certainty to hardworking federal employees struggling to survive during this political nightmare through no fault of their own.”

Background
The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act passed by voice vote in the Senate on January 10, and in the House on January 11. Seven members of Congress voted against the bill. In addition to guaranteeing that all federal workers furloughed due to a government shutdown are paid retroactively when the lapse in appropriations ends, the bill also requires that all employees – those working and furloughed – are paid as soon as possible when the shutdown ends, instead of waiting until the next scheduled payday.

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The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), one of America’s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/retiree organization, NARFE represents the interests of 5 million current and future federal annuitants, spouses and survivors.

CONTACT:
Jill Talley
NARFE Deputy Director, Public Relations
jtalley@narfe.org
(703)838-7760