“[T]he President signed… the ‘Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019,’ which requires the compensation of government employees for wages lost, work performed, or leave used during a lapse in appropriations that begins on or after December 22, 2018,” the statement said on Wednesday.
The shutdown, which has been caused by a standoff between Trump and his Republican majority in the Senate, and the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives has now continued for nearly four weeks and is the longest government shutdown in the US history.
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American Federation of Government Employees 2nd District National Vice President Vincent Castellano told Sputnik on Tuesday that many federal employees started seeking side jobs to make ends because of the ongoing shutdown. In particular, Castellano said that Transport Security Administration (TSA) workers receive a median salary of $35,000 or less. As opposed to working without pay they are forced to call in sick to find another job.
The partial government shutdown was caused by the fact that Trump is demanding to include $5.7 billion in the budget to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
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Trump has threatened to declare a national emergency — a move that would allow the president to order US troops to build a wall on the country’s border with Mexico.
