Speaker Johnson Says Furloughed Workers Should Get Back Pay

A draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget suggests that Congress must allocate extra funding to pay the workers after the shutdown ends.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) holds a news conference about the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 6, 2025. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON—House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on Oct. 8 that he expects that federal workers will receive back pay when the government reopens.

“It’s my understanding that the law is that they would be paid,” Johnson told reporters at a news conference on Capitol Hill.