OMB Quietly Deletes Backpay Law References from Shutdown Guidance
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October 7, 2025: OMB Deletes Backpay Law References
Event Summary
On October 7, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) quietly deleted references to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act from shutdown guidance documents. The 2019 law had guaranteed backpay for federal workers during shutdowns, but its removal from official guidance raised serious concerns about worker protections.
Key Details
- OMB Action: References to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (2019) were removed from shutdown guidance
- Official Position: An OMB draft memo suggested that backpay would not be automatically guaranteed, requiring Congress to appropriate funds specifically
- White House Response: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to confirm whether furloughed workers would receive backpay, stating only that "Republicans in the White House are very much open to discussing this with Democrats"
Significance
This action represents a significant escalation in the systematic removal of worker protections for federal employees. By removing explicit references to guaranteed backpay, the administration signaled its willingness to use shutdowns as leverage against workers while creating uncertainty about compensation.
Category Context
Domestic Impact: This directly affects hundreds of thousands of federal workers and their families across the United States.
Legal Ramifications: The removal of established legal protections from official guidance represents a broader pattern of undermining worker rights and contractual obligations.
Sources
Sources need to be archived and verified. Please check Wayback Machine and official OMB documentation.
This entry documents an ongoing pattern of undermining federal employee protections and worker rights as part of the broader resistance chronicle.