{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases/norton-walkinshaw-raskin-beyer-mfume-subramanyam-and-vindman-introduce", "Norton, Walkinshaw, Raskin, Beyer, Mfume, Subramanyam and Vindman Introduce Legislation to Protect Federal Workers, Service Members, and Contractors During a Shutdown", "2026-02-02", "2026", "2026-02", "Democrat", "House", "DC", "Eleanor Holmes Norton", "N000147", "norton.house.gov", "norton", "https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), and Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) introduced legislation to pay all federal employees, as well as service members and federal contractors, during any shutdowns in FY2026.\n\nWith Republicans continuing to threaten shutdowns and use federal workers as political leverage, the True Shutdown Fairness Act would ensure that during any FY 2026 shutdown, federal workers, service members, and contractors are paid and protected and that the Trump administration cannot use a shutdown to carry out reductions in force.\n\n\u201cFederal workers and contractors \u2013 and their jobs \u2013 should never be used as leverage in political standoffs,\u201d Congresswoman Norton said. \u201cThe True Shutdown Fairness Act would ensure that employees and contractors are paid during a shutdown in FY 2026 and would prohibit reductions in force, which can permanently damage the public's access to services they have a right to receive from the federal government. Federal workers and the American public shouldn\u2019t bear the cost of Congress\u2019s failure to do its job.\u201d\n\n\u201cFederal workers and service members should never be used as leverage in Republicans\u2019 shutdown standoffs, and the Trump administration should never be able to use a shutdown to inflict harm on our federal workforce, as we have seen,\u201d said Rep. Walkinshaw. \u201cThis bill would provide critical protections by ensuring workers get paid during any FY2026 shutdown, contractors can keep paying their staff, and the Trump administration would be blocked from using a shutdown as a smokescreen to purge the federal workforce through reductions in force.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur dedicated federal workers should never be pawns in a government shutdown fight,\u201d said Rep. Raskin. \u201cOur bill provides security to civil servants in MD-08 and across the country by protecting their paychecks and shielding them from any more of Trump\u2019s reckless, unlawful firing sprees during a shutdown in FY26.\u201d\n\n\u201cFederal workers and contractors are never responsible for government shutdowns, but they are always the ones who bear many of the worst consequences. The True Shutdown Fairness Act would ensure all federal workers, contractors, and servicemembers continue to receive their pay throughout a shutdown. These people devote their careers to serving the American people, their efforts are essential for keeping Americans safe and healthy, and they should be paid for their work regardless of political squabbles,\u201d said Rep. Beyer.\n\n\u201cSince the last government shutdown, federal employees and contractors have continued to face uncertainty despite the essential work they perform every day,\u201d said Rep. Kweisi Mfume. \u201cThese workers keep our government functioning, and they deserve stability and fairness when shutdowns occur. The True Shutdown Fairness Act is a common-sense solution that ensures our federal employees are fairly paid and protected for their work during a shutdown. I thank Representative Walkinshaw for his leadership and am proud to support this legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress' inability to pass budgets shouldn't stop federal workers, contractors, and service members from getting a paycheck,\u201d said Rep. Subramanyam. \u201cThis commonsense legislation ensures that if there is a shutdown in FY2026, personnel and contractors are paid and protected \u2014 and that no administration can use a shutdown as a pretext to carry out reductions in force. It\u2019s a commonsense safeguard for the public servants and their families in our community.\u201d\n\n\"Virginia is home to tens of thousands of federal workers, contractors, and service members who keep our country running. This week, many are once again being forced to wonder if they will get their next paycheck \u2014 not because they failed to do their jobs, but because of the chaos and cruelty coming from the White House,\u201d said Rep. Vindman. \u201cAs their Representative, a 25-year Army officer, and as the husband of a former federal employee, I know the uncertainty and strain shutdowns place on families. My family has lived through it. Nobody should have to. I am proud to support this bill that would change just that.\"\n\n\u201cFederal workers simply want to do their jobs and serve their communities \u2013 yet too often they are treated as bargaining chips by anti-worker politicians,\u201d said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. \u201cThese are dedicated people with families to support \u2013 they shouldn\u2019t have to worry about whether they\u2019ll be able to pay the rent or buy groceries during a shutdown. The True Shutdown Fairness Act will ensure federal workers, contractors, and service members don\u2019t miss a paycheck and protect federal workers from reductions-in-force during shutdowns. Further, the legislation is time-limited to avoid incentivizing more frequent and longer shutdowns that would stop funding for public services and cost our members\u2019 jobs at the state and local level. Our members thank Reps. Walkinshaw, Raskin, Norton, Beyer, Subramanyam, Vindman, and Mfume for introducing this legislation to ensure federal workers have the security of knowing they\u2019ll be paid regardless of the politics in Washington.\u201d\n\nThe Services Employees International Union (SEIU) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) endorse the bill.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\nThe True Shutdown Fairness Act is the House companion to legislation led in the Senate by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T21:03:58Z"]], "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://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases/norton-walkinshaw-raskin-beyer-mfume-subramanyam-and-vindman-introduce"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8022012189030647, "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"}