WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined colleagues in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), urging the Administration to direct federal agencies to work with contractors to provide back pay to compensate low- and middle-income contractor employees for the wages they have lost during the shutdown. The Senators wrote that under their existing authority, federal contracting officers should use provisions that allow them to modify the terms of the contract to work with contractors to provide back pay for employees who lost wages as a result of the government shutdown.

“Contract workers and their families should not suffer the consequences of a shutdown that they did not cause. Low-wage service contract workers perform jobs that are absolutely vital to the government, such as food service, security, and custodial work. Many of these workers live paycheck-to-paycheck, and cannot afford to pay their rent and other bills if the shutdown continues,” the Senators wrote.

This week, Brown met with government contract workers who are hurt by the ongoing government shutdown. Brown also plans to introduce legislation to secure back pay for government contract employees who have gone without pay during the government shutdown.

In addition to Brown, the letter was signed by Sens. Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-N.H.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.), Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-Ore.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.), and Christopher S. Murphy (D-Conn.).

The text of the letter is available below and here.

Dear Mr. Vought:

We are writing to urge you to direct federal agencies to work with contractors to provide back pay to compensate low- and middle-income contractor employees for the wages they have lost as a result of not being able to report to work during this government shutdown.

Contract workers and their families should not suffer the consequences of a shutdown that they did not cause. Low-wage service contract workers perform jobs that are absolutely vital to the government, such as food service, security, and custodial work. Many of these workers live paycheck-to-paycheck, and cannot afford to pay their rent and other bills if the shutdown continues.

After past shutdowns, contractor employees have generally not received back pay. In addition to our fight to protect federal workers who are being hurt by this shutdown, we are committed to righting this wrong for contractor employees. Government contracts typically have provisions to modify the terms of the contract. Federal contracting officers should use these provisions to work with contractors to provide back pay for employees who lost wages as a result of the government shutdown.

Providing back pay to these low- and middle-income contractor employees who are furloughed by their employers is the right thing to do, and it is in the federal government's best interest to provide funding to the extent necessary to ensure that contractors deliver back pay to their workers. Contractor employees cannot afford the chaos and uncertainty of government shutdowns, and some of these workers may seek other jobs if back pay is not provided to compensate for shutdown-related losses.

Most of all, this wasteful and destructive government shutdown must come to an end. We all support the legislation passed by the House of Representatives to reopen the government, which mirrors legislation that previously passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support.

We urge you to take immediate steps to ensure that contractor employees get the back pay that they deserve by providing clear directions for agencies and contractors to do so.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

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