{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-pay-all-federal-employees-servicemembers-and-contractors-during-shutdown", "Hirono, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Pay All Federal Employees, Servicemembers, and Contractors During Shutdown", "2025-10-24", "2025", "2025-10", "Democrat", "Senate", "HI", "Mazie K. Hirono", "H001042", "www.hirono.senate.gov", "hirono", "https://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "~ Legislation would also prevent Administration\u2019s mass firings while the government is shut down ~\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and 19 colleagues in introducing legislation to pay all federal employees\u2013both those excepted and furloughed\u2013as well as our servicemembers and federal contractors during the current Republican-led shutdown. The Senators\u2019 legislation, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, would also prevent the Administration\u2019s attempts at mass firings (Reductions in Force or RIFs) while the government is shut down.\n\n\u201cEvery day, federal workers help to keep the government functioning\u2014protecting our communities and keeping our country safe and healthy,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cOur federal employees should not be unjustly punished during a government shutdown that they had no part in. While Trump wants to pick and choose who gets paid during Republicans\u2019 government shutdown, I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to ensure that ALL federal workers, contractors, and servicemembers are treated fairly and receive the pay they rightfully deserve.\u201d\n\nThe True Shutdown Fairness Act would immediately restart pay for all excepted and furloughed federal workers, servicemembers, and federal contractors during the current shutdown. The Senators\u2019 legislation also includes a prohibition on Reductions In Force (RIFs) while the federal government is shut down. Federal employees are ensured retroactive pay after a shutdown ends due to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Partnership for Public Service, and The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).\n\nIn addition to Senators Hirono and Van Hollen, the True Shutdown Fairness Act is cosponsored by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nThe full text of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "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://www.hirono.senate.gov/news/press-releases/hirono-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-pay-all-federal-employees-servicemembers-and-contractors-during-shutdown"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8944100700318813, "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"}