How soon could federal workers be paid after the government shutdown ends?

As lawmakers inch closer to a deal to end the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history , hundreds of thousands of government workers who've gone without pay are wondering when their paychecks could finally arrive.

It's still unclear when the shutdown might end, though the Senate is working to finalize a funding package. House members were told late Sunday to expect votes on government funding this week, pending final passage of the funding measure in the Senate.

Once a funding bill passes and the government reopens, federal workers are entitled to back pay under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. The law covers both furloughed employees and those required to work without pay, requiring agencies to issue retroactive payments as soon as possible rather than wait