Office of Rep. Derek Kilmer announcement.
On March 2, 2023, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (HI) reintroduced legislation to protect federal workers and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown. The Federal Employee Civil Relief Act would enable government employees and contractors to postpone payment obligations during a shutdown or debt default and for 30 days afterward.
“No family should be left struggling to pay their bills and provide for their families because of the failure of Congress to do its job,” said Rep. Kilmer. “Federal workers aren’t Democrats or Republicans when they show up for work. They are public servants that protect our sailors through their work at the shipyard, that prepare timber sales in the federal forests, that welcome visitors to national parks, that care for our veterans, that ensure citizens can get the services they need, and that keep us safe. We should have their backs. That’s why I’m leading legislation with Senator Schatz to ensure that if federal workers in our region have to deal with a government shutdown, their finances – and their families – are protected.”
“Federal workers are dedicated public servants who inspect our food and water, maintain our parks, and care for our veterans. The last choice they should have to make is between feeding their families and keeping the lights on,” said Sen. Schatz. “This bill will make sure we protect them from any attempts by Republicans to shut down the government and harm federal workers.”
During the December 2018 government shutdown, many federal workers received a pay stub with zero dollars on it. This bill addresses the real threat of federal workers and contractors losing their homes, falling behind on student loans and other bills, having their car repossessed, or losing their health insurance because they have been furloughed during a shutdown or required to work without pay. The Federal Employee Civil Relief Act would protect impacted workers from:
- Being evicted or foreclosed;
- Having their car or other property repossessed;
- Falling behind in their student loan payments;
- Having negative effects on their credit history;
- Falling behind in paying their bills; or
- Losing their insurance because of missed premiums.
This protection would last during a shutdown and debt default and 30 days afterward to give workers a chance to keep up with their bills. In each of these situations, it would enable these workers to apply to a court to temporarily postpone payment obligations or eviction or foreclosure actions. It would allow courts to weigh the equities of both parties to the contract in deciding how contractual obligations should be treated.
This legislation is supported by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), Federal Managers Association (FMA), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).
” federal workers aren’t democrats or republicans” Um yeah, they’re mostly democrats.
So when your over-loaded ship is going down, everyone gets a life raft, but we citizens who finance that ship – we get to tread water and fend off sharks?
My wife used to work for the federal government.
I convinced her to quit so she could raise our kid.
I sure miss that cushy benefit package.
Foreclosure? Do they even know how long it takes to lose a home through foreclosure in Washington? How about 120 days minimum and perhaps longer if the bank relents and extends the date which often happens.
How long have previous government shutdowns been? Typically very short, days, and in most cases federal workers were compensated for their “lost” wages.
Much ado about nothing so politicians can virtue signal, feel good about themselves and garner votes in the next election.