WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today announced that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, bipartisan legislation he cosponsored to protect federal and other government workers impacted during the shutdown, passed the Senate this evening by Unanimous Consent. Currently, 420,000 federal workers are working without pay, and another 380,000 have been sent home without pay until the shutdown ends.

“Hundreds of thousands of federal employees, through no fault of their own, are scrambling to be sure they can make ends meet during the government shutdown,” Senator King said. “These men and women are dedicated public servants, and they should never have to sacrifice the paychecks they rely on to provide for them and their families – they should never have to worry about how to keep a roof over their head, or put food on the table.

“The President’s unwillingness to engage in the Congressional process and open the government is a misguided attempt to fund his undefined ‘wall’ and it comes at the expense of 800,000 Americans and their families. We must immediately reopen the government so we can fulfill our responsibility to these men and women. With the passage of this common sense bill in the Senate this evening, we have taken a step in the right direction to protect federal workers hard-earned paychecks and ensure the financial stability they deserve.”

The bill, introduced last week by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), would guarantee that furloughed federal employees will be paid retroactively and stipulates that all employees shall be paid as soon as possible after the lapse in appropriations ends. The bill also clarifies that excepted employees who have scheduled previously approved leave occurring during an appropriations lapse may indeed take that leave without undue penalty.