Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and 16 Senators in introducing the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act. The legislation would protect federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during a government shutdown.

President Trump and his Administration have continued to threaten the rights of federal workers after Senate Republicans refused to pass Democrats’ continuing resolution that would have protected health care coverage for millions of Americans while averting a government shutdown.

“For nine months, Donald Trump has taken a sledgehammer to our federal workforce, intimidating and purging hardworking public servants as he consolidates power. Now, he’s threatening to use the Republican shutdown to inflict even more pain,” said Senator Padilla. “California has one of the largest federal workforces in the country, and we must ensure they can pay their bills and stay in their homes through any future shutdown.”

“While the President and congressional Republicans continue to refuse to work with Democrats to stop health care costs from skyrocketing and reopen the government, people are suffering,” said Senator Schatz. “Right now, hundreds of thousands of federal workers, federal contractor employees, and their families don’t know whether they’ll be able to pay rent and make ends meet. Our bill will protect these workers and make sure they aren’t harmed during this shutdown.”

“Republicans control the House, Senate, and Presidency — and they have led our country into a shutdown to avoid bipartisan negotiations or a discussion about the impending Republican-led healthcare crisis. Now, Republicans and the White House are even threatening to not provide legally mandated backpay to workers,” said Leader Schumer. “Unfortunately, there are real people — with real concerns about pay and livelihood — who are being used as political pawns in the Republicans’ attempt to cater to billionaires and special interests. Senate Democrats remain committed to protecting federal workers who are affected by this shutdown. With the passage of the commonsense Federal Employee Civil Relief Act, federal workers could rest a little easier knowing they and their families are protected from foreclosures, evictions, and defaults during this tumultuous period.”

The Federal Employee Civil Relief Act addresses the 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.

Specifically, this legislation would protect impacted workers from:

• Being evicted or foreclosed;
• Having their car or other property repossessed;
• Falling behind on their student loan payments;
• Having negative effects on their credit history;
• Falling behind on paying their bills; or
• Losing their insurance because of missed premiums.

The protection would last during and 30 days following a shutdown to give workers a chance to keep up with their bills. Now in its second week, the government shutdown impacts thousands of federal workers and federal contractor employees in all 50 states. Before President Trump began his mass firings of the federal workforce, California had more than 150,000 federal civilian workers last year.

In addition to Padilla, the bill is also cosponsored by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is set to be introduced by U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.-02).

This legislation also has the support of the National Treasury Employees Union, International Federal of Professional and Technical Engineers, National Federation of Federal Employees-IAM, American Federation of Government Employees, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, UNITE HERE, LIUNA (Laborers’ International Union of North America), and the Transport Workers Union.

Senator Padilla is a longtime advocate for protecting federal workers’ rights. He has cosponsored several bills to help federal workers in the aftermath of the Republican shutdown, including legislation to ensure federal contract workers receive backpay, to let essential federal employees temporarily apply for unemployment insurance, to allow federal workers and contractors to withdraw funds from their savings or retirement accounts without penalties, and to provide timely relief for federal workers who are illegally fired. Last month, Padilla introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would repeal two union-busting executive orders and restore collective bargaining rights and workplace protections for federal workers. In April, Padilla joined Senator Van Hollen and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in urging President Trump to rescind his March 27 executive order to end collective bargaining agreements between public employee unions and dozens of federal agencies and bureaus.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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