[The Hill] Democrats are struggling to come up with a way to provide back pay for low-wage contractors losing income because of the partial shutdown, a complicated process that hasn’t been tackled during previous government closures.Contracted maintenance workers, cleaners, security guards and cafeteria staff at government buildings are among the hardest hit by the shutdown, which began Dec. 22.
Unlike the hundreds of thousands of affected federal employees who often receive back pay after a shutdown ends, low-wage contractors are not afforded compensation once the government reopens.
While President Trump is expected to sign legislation that would eventually give back pay to federal workers, even ensuring similar compensation after future shutdowns, contractors are not covered in that bill.
Senate Democrats say they are looking for a solution, but it’s proving to be a surprisingly tricky problem to fix.
"That’s putting it mildly. It’s not easy," said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who represents a state with thousands of federal workers and contractors.
Government contractors can cover anything from outsourced services for agencies, such as cafeteria service at federal office buildings, to major off-site projects. Lawmakers say they want to help low-wage workers who are shut out of work while doing so in a way that doesn’t pad the pockets of higher-wage contractors who can more easily withstand the financial strain of a shutdown.
Figuring out exactly how to get the money to employees is no easy task, according to legislators.