White House Memo Claims Furloughed Workers Aren’t Owed Back Pay: Axios

White House Memo Claims Furloughed Workers Aren’t Owed Back Pay: Axios

David Gilmour Oct 7th, 2025, 6:23 am

(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

A draft White House memo argues that federal workers furloughed during the current shutdown are not automatically entitled to back pay in a move seemingly designed to intensify pressure on Senate Democrats to fold on funding.

The memo, described to Axios by multiple sources , hinges on a reinterpretation of the (GEFTA). While the law has long been viewed as guaranteeing back pay after shutdowns, the administration claims it has been “misconstrued” or even that it is “deficient,” thanks to a January 2019 amendment.

“Does this law cover all these furloughed employees automatically? The conventional wisdom is: Yes, it does. Our view is: No, it do