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Trump threatens worker backpay in shutdown fight

The White House is wielding the new threat of no back pay for furloughed workers as a tactic to pressure Democrats to end the weeklong government shutdown.

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The previous shutdown ended with legislation, known as the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, that required furloughed workers in future shutdowns be paid once the government is opened.

But that didn’t stop the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from issuing a draft memo this week raising the possibility that furloughed federal workers may not be entitled to checks missed during a shutdown.

Trump and his lieutenants have cast the blame on Democrats, but have also suggested that some federal workers shouldn't be compensated.

“I can tell you this: T

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