Republican Senator Says ‘It’s Not Up To’ Trump Whether Federal Workers Get Paid: ‘Read the Constitution’
Republican Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) told reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday that the president doesn’t decide whether or not federal workers receive back pay following the government shutdown, urging the reporters to “read the Constitution.”
“The Trump administration isn’t necessarily committing to back pay for federal workers. Do you have any thoughts on that?” a reporter asked Kennedy.
Kennedy replied bluntly, “The president—it’s not up to the president. I mean, his opinion matters, but Congress has got to appropriate the money. Read the Constitution.”
The clip was shared online by CBS News’s Cristina Corujo and comes amid reports on a memo from the Trump White House suggesting legal avenues to deprive workers of pay.
An Axios report revealed earlier Tuesday morning that “a draft White House memo” argued that “furloughed federal workers aren’t guaranteed compensation for their forced time off during the government shutdown.” Marc Caputo scooped the news, citing several sources who described the document.
Corujo’s clip included the reporter pressing Kennedy on the topic, to which he replied, “We’ve always paid back pay to the military and federal workers, and Congress has always appropriated the money, and we will this time, in my opinion.”
Another reporter followed up, “The White House has a draft memo saying that the Government Employee Federal Fair Treatment Act might not necessarily be legal.”
Kennedy replied, “Well, you need to talk to the White House. I haven’t read the memo.”
Watch the clip above.
