The House passed a bill on Friday to ensure that Federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown will receive their full pay when appropriations are restored to agencies. S.21, the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, passed on a 411-7 vote. The bill passed in the Senate on a voice vote on Thursday.
The bill ensures that both excepted employees required to work, and furloughed employees not required to report to work, eventually will be paid for the duration of the shutdown. The bill also ensures that excepted employees can use paid leave during the shutdown.
President Trump has indicated that he will sign the bill into law.
While Federal employees are set to receive backpay once the shutdown ends, contractors are not covered by the bill.