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March 19
1875, 1:35PM - Outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez hanged in San Jose [story]
Tiburcio Vasquez


| Friday, Feb 15, 2019
U.S. Rep. Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce. U.S. Rep. Katie Hill, D-Agua Dulce.

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep Katie Hill (D-Agua Dulce) has introduced “The Shutdown Fairness Act,” H.R. 1117, a bill to clarify that federal employees forced to work without pay during government shutdowns are eligible for earned unemployment benefits.

These benefits effectively operate as a no-interest loan to keep people on their feet, and are paid back once backpay is received.

States like California, Colorado, Washington, and Vermont all took action to extend this lifeline to employees working without pay during the last government shutdown, but President Trump has threatened to penalize them for their action.

Democratic negotiators fought to include this bill in the government funding deal passed Thursday by the House and Senate, but it was barred from inclusion in the final package.

“In California, our Governor, Gavin Newsom, ensured that those who worked without pay could be compensated by the same unemployment funds that protected our furloughed workers. This is an issue of basic fairness and common decency,” Hill said.

“No kid should miss a meal and no family should worry about paying rent because of Washington’s political games,” she said. “Whether they worked without pay or were sent home, this financial hardship was through no fault of our American workers. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to stop this from ever happening again, and I stand with my fellow colleagues who are also working hard to tackle this critical problem.”

California Gavin Newsom took bold steps to ensure Californian federal employees received unemployment benefits during the shutdown.

“I am grateful for Congresswoman Hill’s efforts to ensure California’s unemployment insurance program is reimbursed for providing benefits to federal workers affected by the government shutdown. States like California should not be penalized for lending a helping hand to workers who were put in financial distress by partisan gridlock,” Newsom said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) championed this issue in the Senate.

“Federal employees who have to show up to work during a government shutdown – helping keep us safe in the sky and at home – should have access to the same financial lifeline their furloughed colleagues do,” he said.

“Federal workers on the job and unpaid deserve the same benefits as workers sent home — all through no choice of their own. During this recent shutdown, when I met with air traffic controllers and TSA security screeners who told me that they weren’t able to access unemployment benefits because they’re still going to work, I was stunned – and I remain determined to fix this fundamental unfairness,” Blumenthal said. “This bill makes a simple clarification to existing law to ensure that all federal employees are able to access unemployment compensation benefits when they’re caught in the middle of a government shutdown. A missed paycheck is a missed paycheck, whether you are working without pay or furloughed.”

Despite being excluded from the government funding deal, support for this legislation was found throughout the Caucus, specifically by legislators who have been leaders on this issue.

“States should not be penalized simply for doing what’s right by offering assistance during a government shutdown to federal employees working without paychecks,” said Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01). “I’m happy to see Rep. Katie Hill take a leadership role on this important issue, and am committed to helping her pass the Shutdown Fairness Act.”

“It was unconscionable that President Trump forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees and contractors to suffer through the longest government shutdown in our history, with no means to provide for themselves or their families,” said Representative Anthony G. Brown (MD-04). “If President Trump is committed to shutting down government and holding federal workers hostage again, we must do everything we can to provide support and relief. I’m proud to join Congresswoman Hill on this important legislation to support the men and women who serve our country every day by securing our food, our water, our airports, and our communities.”

“Even a partial government shutdown can have a devastating impact on the men and women who serve our federal government and their families, leaving them with uncertainty and limited options for help,” said Representative Ed Perlmutter (CO-07).

“That is why we must ensure all federal employees – including those who are forced to work during a shutdown without knowing when they will get paid – are eligible to receive unemployment benefits from their state,” he said. “We can never allow dysfunction in Washington D.C. to jeopardize the livelihoods of our federal government employees,”

Upon its introduction on Friday, Feb. 8, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways & Means for further action.

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3 Comments

  1. Gordon Harvey says:

    1) The shutdown was a result of the criminal Democrat Socialists trying to show their power over our duly elected President.

    2) Agree that all Federal “employees” should receive compensation during these times, all members of Congress should not. All Government shutdowns due to politics should be met with ZERO compensation to Congress members and their direct staffs.

  2. Malcolm Blue says:

    Mr. Harvey:
    1- ;(
    2- :)

  3. Jim Vigdor says:

    While I don’t disagree with Congresswoman Hill fundamentally that people who need to work during a government shutdown should be compensated just as anyone who works should be paid, I’m concerned this “band-aid” for the foundational problem of Congress not insuring that the government is properly & regularly funded that could be abused by what has become standard partisanship which is whatvtruly shuts down our government! For many Congresses instead of Congress responsibly managing governmement finances, they pass “Continuing Resolutions” (CR’s) to fund the Government, whichbthe President signs.
    They need to do this to increase the nation’s debt to keep operating!! What Congress needs is to be more fiscally responsible, which it hasn’t been for years, maybe decades!!
    Also, while political banter on the government shutdown put the blame on the President, our laws put the “power of the purse” squarely on Congress!! Having said that once Congress passes a bill the President must sign it for it to become law!! The President can refuse to sign and veto the bill, but if he does the bill can go back to Congress to override a President’s veto, I believe with a 2/3’s vote!!
    People can blame who they want, but the fundamental problem is partisanship!! Bills get slammed through both houses of Congress by a slight majority general as a result of the political party holding the majority in each house. As a result they effectively hand the President excessive power because the parties don’t meet, come to a consensus, compromise to put forward a bill that can have greater support, that could override a Presidential veto!!!
    It’s great that this country have people with differing views aligning with the major political parties! And it’s great that people have become so passionately involved of late where in the past the problem was overall apathy, our government fails & ultimately our nation suffers!!! This is where we are today & we complain about it, but foster it with our steadfast partisanship!!
    So while bills like this truly do help people, it’s need arises from the fundamental major issue of a dysfunctional government & divided nation and it just will allow to make this dysfunction less painful. And I’m not saying that those who lose their income should suffer to help ameliorate Government dysfunction, but maybe we should add to the bill that Congress & the President should lose their salaries and benefits as well so they can feel some of the pain that our “leaders” foist on our citizenry!!!!

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