Congresswoman Pingree co-sponsored bill that would employees furloughed during shutdown
A bill co-sponsored by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree that would provide back pay for federal employees furloughed during the government shutdown passed the House this morning.
"There are thousands of public employees in Maine who have been furloughed because of the government shutdown. They have mortgage and car payments to make, groceries to buy and bills that need to be paid, but through no fault of their own they have been put out of work," Pingree said. "When the government shutdown is over they deserve their back pay. They shouldn't have to pay the price for the inability of Congress to keep the government open."
The bill, the "Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act" (H.R. 3223), ensures all federal employees receive retroactive pay for the duration of a federal government shutdown. The bill now goes to the Senate. President Obama has indicated he will sign the bill.
Pingree said this bill is an important protection for public workers, but it's even more important for Congress to pass a spending bill to reopen the government.
"We could reopen the government this afternoon if Republican leaders would just allow us to vote on a spending bill. The Senate has already passed it, the President will sign it and the votes are there in the House, but they just won't let us take that vote," Pingree said.
