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4w ago

Congress Ends 4-Day Shutdown, Guarantees Back Pay for Federal Workers

The measure restates GEFTA’s retroactive pay requirement ahead of a Feb. 14 DHS funding deadline.

President Donald Trump signs a funding bill to end a partial government shutdown in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 3, 2026. The Trump administration continues to assert that federal workers aren't guaranteed back pay despite federal law explicitly assuring it.

Overview

  • The House passed the funding bill 217–214 and President Trump signed it, extending full-year funding for multiple departments and providing a two-week stopgap for Homeland Security.
  • The text directs agencies to pay furloughed and excepted employees consistent with the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, reaffirming that back pay is required after a lapse.
  • OMB and OPM had questioned GEFTA’s automatic application, with OPM’s Jan. 30 guidance removing prior assurances of retroactive pay, prompting lawmakers to spell out the mandate in the bill.
  • Reporting estimates suggest about 1.4 million federal employees were affected during the lapse, including roughly 670,000 furloughed and about 730,000 required to work without pay.
  • Contractors remain outside GEFTA’s protections, and Rep. James Walkinshaw reintroduced the True Shutdown Fairness Act to secure pay for contractors and block workforce reductions during shutdowns.