As Congress considers a ‘pay back’ bill for workers furloughed during the shutdown, will tax payers be forced to ante up in the end?
In all previous shutdowns furloughed workers have received back pay, and with the bill in favor of granting back pay having already been passed in the House and moving on to the Senate, concerns arise as to who will experience the most financial strain the aftermath.
According to Steve Ellis, the vice president of the non-profit Taxpayers for Common Sense, it is unfair to taxpayers to have to pay more when employees are receiving pay for days they were not at work.
Ellis also believes it to be a bit of a catch-22 because those who are forced to stay on the job with no pay are also at a grave disadvantage.
“It is pretty preposterous when you look at it and it just shows how ridiculous this situation is,” Ellis says. “People who are working and may be doing even more work than they would otherwise because their colleagues are furloughed and they’re just going to get their regular pay.”
Ellis also pointed out that taxpayers are subjected to a decrease in services during the shutdown, but will still have to pay up afterwards.
He says, “Taxpayers have every right to be angry about this situation.”
