{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/comstock-beyer-wittman-prepare-legislation-protect-federal-workers", "Comstock, Beyer, Wittman Prepare Legislation to Protect Federal Workers", "2015-12-10", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Barbara Comstock", "C001105", "comstock.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC With the clock ticking on the federal governments fiscal calendar, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) Congressman Don Beyer(D-VA) and Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) are preparing legislation to protect federal employees from a government shutdown. The Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act would guarantee back pay for all furloughed workers in the event of a shutdown.\nOur dedicated military, federal employees, and contractors are on the frontlines every single day to keep us safe, said Rep. Comstock. We must all come together to keep the government open so that they do not have to worry where they will find their next paycheck. As I have said before, keeping the federal government open means that FBI agents who work day and night tracking down criminals and terrorists do not need to worry about a mortgage payment. Keeping the federal government open means that Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, and National Security Agency officials will be one hundred percent focused on their mission and not concerned about making college tuition payments for their sons and daughters. And keeping the federal government open means that National Institute of Health researchers keep working toward finding new cures. We can't use our military, federal employees, and contractors as political footballs.\nFor the third time this year, Congressional dysfunction threatens the livelihood of federal workers carrying out our countrys vital missions, said Rep. Beyer. Its inexcusable to play politics with their pay and their familys well-being. I hope my House colleagues recognize the hardship these funding battles cause hard working American families.\nFederal employee pay is suspended in the event of a funding lapse or government shutdown. Retroactive pay for all essential and non-essential federal workers must be approved by Congress.\nThere has to be consistency and certainty in government funding for our federal employees to effectively carry out the important work that they do every day to make the U.S. a better, safer place, Rep. Wittman said. This culture of stagnation that plagues the budget process in Washington and makes the well-being of federal employees contingent on unrelated policy measures has to end. Ive said before, and I will say again that this recurring cycle of governing by crisis has to give way to long-term vision and resolve.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://comstock.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/comstock-beyer-wittman-prepare-legislation-protect-federal-workers"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4760801568627357, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}