WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, co-sponsored the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act, which would retroactively pay the nearly 800,000 federal civilian employees who have been furloughed due to the government shutdown. It’s estimated that 40,000 federal employees have been furloughed in Utah.
“For the first time in 17 years, our federal government is shutdown,” Stewart said. “It’s having real, harmful impacts on hard working American families. Despite the differences in spending priorities between Democrats and Republicans, federal employees shouldn’t be held hostage to Washington’s political gridlock. This bill ensures that federal workers will be paid, not punished.”
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Thanks for the compassionate conservatism, Chris…. Actually the federal workers, like the rest of America, are hostages of the Republicans like Rep. Stewart who voted to defund the ACA as part of the CR passed by the House. All Speaker Boehner needs to do is put the CR bill passed by the Senate on the floor of the House and it will pass and the shutdown will be over.
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Mr. Stewart:
I understand you represent the people of Utah, but you better start thinking about the American people as a whole, unless you are going to be another Harry Reid.
I am disturbed at the comments he made on national television today. I can understand that you want back pay, so what are you going to give the other people that have also been effected by this shutdown. Are you going to backdate applications for Social Security because they were not processing applications because of the shut down.
Are you going to compensate those people who are not going to be able to use their WIC checks after the 17th if the government isn’t up and running.
Government people are not anymore important then anyone else in this country. Yes, they have better jobs, they may have better benefits, they may drive nicer cars or live in nicer houses, but one thing you MUST REMEMBER, we are all human beings, AMERICANS and we should be TREATED ALL THE SAME.
So if you aren’t going to help out EVERYONE who has been affected by this shutdown, then do it at all.
Chris could do like Orrin and donate his salary to “the church” while he carries on with all this nonsense. He can declare it as a tax deduction and take care of his tithing for a year of so. Or, he could do like Mikey and stick out his tongue and tell his constituents that he isn’t giving up his salary, because of how hard he works for it.
Congressman Stewart,
.
Your cynical press releases are cold comfort the millions whom your party’s petty posturing have left in limbo. Man up, speak out and pay the bills that your legislative body has obligated itself to.
Congressman Stewart,
There is essentially no difference between the two parties in washington, neither of whom have our best interests at heart. The “Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act” is bad fiscal policy and we believe you’re making a mistake co-sponsoring it.
Last month the Obama administration had enough money to start another war and send Troops, Aircraft Carriers, Destroyers and Cruise Missile Ships to Syria, but now we can’t keep National Parks and WIC payments operating? Please keep the course and do not give in to the Obama administration’s “Govern by Crisis” tactics.
Federal employees are not being paid simply because a handful of sore losers don’t like the ACA. It’s as if the Democrats were to shut down government unless the Republicans agree to background checks and a ban on assault weapons. This is not the way things get done. The ACA is the law of the land. If it’s as bad as the Tea Party minority thinks it is, it will fall of its own accord. If Congressman Stewart and his brethren would just do the right thing–end the shutdown–federal workers would be paid as they should be.
So you propose to repair the damage you continue to do by passing a new bill to refund the money lost? That”s like saying after I am done raping you I will put your clothes back on for you.
Michael is speaking the truth. A) no difference between parties, they are the same sellout lying congressman. B)They can spend millions upon billions on war and things we don’t need, and yet they make illegit cut backs to make people think theyre pinching pennies. It’s a show folks. What a joke this is! Wake up y’all.