By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nevada), a 2023 National Newspaper Publishers Association Leadership Award winner, has introduced legislation to reimburse federal employees for fees, interest, and fines charged through no fault of their own during a government shutdown. The bill, H.R. 5758, the “Pay Workers What They’ve Earned Act,” would also reimburse state and tribal government for costs incurred during government shutdowns.
“Extreme MAGA Republicans are hellbent on shutting down the federal government, harming thousands of Nevadan workers and small business contractors wreaking havoc on our economy and impacting essential services to women and children, our military and delays to Medicare and social security payments to seniors,” stated Horsford, who earned a 2023 NNPA Leadership Award at a lavish ceremony this month for his tireless work to better all citizens, particularly people of color.
“This is wrong and unacceptable and it’s why I’m committed to supporting a bi-partisan solution to keep government working for constituents in Nevada,” Horsford said in a news release. “If a Republican caused shutdown does occur, I’m working to make sure that Nevada’s federal workers and small business contractors aren’t on the hook for the additional costs of that shutdown.”
The congressman noted that, as thousands of federal employees and contractors learned in previous shutdowns, simply reopening the government doesn’t help them pay the credit card interest fees, and overdue rent notices that pile up during a government shutdown. “Congress needs to make Nevadans whole for the costs they incur during shutdowns – including the Nevada taxpayers and tribal governments who pick up the slack when the federal government stops paying its bills,” he asserted.
In previous government shutdowns, Horsford noted that many states across the country were forced to tap into their own resources to cover the federal government’s lapse in appropriations for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF), and housing assistance. “Other individuals, like many of our service members, air traffic controllers and TSA agents at the airport, were required to show up to work, but not getting regular paychecks, forcing some to take short-term, high-interest loans to make ends meet,” he said.
The ‘Pay Workers What They’ve Earned Act’ would:
• Cover Family Costs: Provide compensation to federal employees and contractors during a lapse in appropriations to cover the fees, interest and fines incurred due to the lapse in appropriations by setting up a reimbursement verification mechanism with the Department of Treasury.
• Provide Timely State and Tribal Reimbursement: Ensure the federal government reimburses states who have used state budget funds to cover federal programs within 90 days after a shutdown.
• Prevent Burden for Families in the Future: Creates a reserve fund for Federal Employees and Contractors who are furloughed during any future shutdowns.
