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Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) voted today to guarantee back pay for federal workers who remain furloughed while the Democrat Senate refuses to meet with House Republicans to find a bipartisan agreement to re-open government. The Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act (H.R. 3223) passed the House of Representatives unanimously. President Obama said he will sign this legislation, but has threatened to veto fifteen other provisions which would spare other Americans the pain and inconvenience of shutdown policies.  

“The House of Representatives did the right thing today by providing some peace of mind to individuals who have been furloughed because the Democrat Senate refuses to negotiate an agreement to re-open the federal government.” Congresswoman Foxx stated. “The President has said he is willing to remove the pain and inconvenience of Washington’s dysfunction for federal workers, but has threatened to veto bipartisan proposals which would do the same for veterans, Guardsmen and reservists, visitors to national parks and memorials, patients who rely on NIH studies, and WIC nutrition program recipients. The President’s inconsistency should be questioned.

“House Republicans remain committed to a bipartisan solution to reopen the federal government for the American people and will continue to act in good faith to find an agreement with Senate Democrats to do just that. But to build a bipartisan compromise, the Senate needs to come to the table so we can work through our policy differences.” 

The House has now taken action on nine separate measures to solve problems caused by the federal government shutdown. Eight additional bills will be considered by the House in coming days. With the exception of the Pay our Military Act (H.R. 3210), the Senate has yet to consider any. President Obama chose to sign the Pay our Military Act and said he will support the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act, but has threatened to veto fifteen other bills House Republicans have introduced to restore funding to critical services for the American people while the Senate continues to stand in the way of open government.

In advance of the October 1 deadline, the House of Representatives offered four separate proposals to fully fund the federal government. 

Timeline of House Proposals to Keep Government Open:

• September 30, 2013 – House votes to fully fund government, equal treatment under Obamacare, and conference with the Senate to shape a funding compromise.
• September 30, 2013 – House votes to fully fund government and guarantee fairness for all Americans under Obamacare.
• September 29, 2013 – House votes to fully fund government, delay Obamacare one year, and permanently repeal Obamacare’s Medical Device Tax.
• September 20, 2013 – House votes to fully fund government services, while blocking funding for Obamacare.