Yes, government employees do receive back pay whenever the budget is finally passed (as they should). The issue is when you have a $15/hr TSA employee living paycheck to paycheck who knows they won’t receive their next paycheck on time, they can call in sick from TSA and go work at a side job that will pay them on time. This will definitely happen at lower level essential government employees. Not sure if it will impact ATC, but it absolutely could.


The rules really need to change. Just because the Speaker of the House can’t get his party in line to pass a budget, it shouldn’t affect government employees. Government employees should all keep working and being paid at current levels until a new budget is passed.