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Congress approves measure to ensure federal workers are paid retroactively after shutdown
By Brooke Singman
Published January 11, 2019
The House of Representatives voted to approve a Senate-passed measure to ensure federal workers furloughed during the ongoing partial government shutdown are paid retroactively when the government reopens, sending the bill to President Trump’s desk.
The bill, unanimously passed by the Senate on Thursday, will ensure that federal workers are paid as soon as possible, once the now-21 day shutdown ends.
The president is expected to sign the bill, offering support for the more than 800,000 federal workers who have been forced to work without pay or were furloughed during the shutdown, which began last month.
SHUTDOWN FALLOUT INTENSIFIES AS FEDERAL WORKERS MISS FIRST PAYCHECKS
The pressure on Washington to strike a deal intensified Friday when most workers missed their paychecks for the first time.
The president has blamed the shutdown on Democrats, and Democrats have blamed the shutdown on the president. Neither side appears willing to budge—and if the White House and congressional leaders cannot come to an agreement, Trump has vowed to “almost definitely” use his emergency powers to build the wall.
TRUMP SOUNDS ALARM OVER 'INVASION' AT SOUTHERN BORDER, AFTER RETURNING FROM TEXAS
“Either we’ll win or make a compromise. I’m okay to make a compromise—compromise is in my vocabulary very strongly,” Trump said. “I think a compromise is a win for everybody, otherwise, I can declare a national emergency.”
The president has warned of an “invasion” and a “humanitarian crisis” at the southern border, as he continues to negotiate for $5.7 billion to fund border security and construction of a wall or barrier along the border.
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Democrats, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have vowed to block any sort of funding for the wall, accusing the president of having “manufactured” a crisis at the border.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-senate-pass-measure-to-ensure-federal-workers-are-paid-retroactively-after-shutdown-awaits-trumps-signature