Worries remain for U.S. government contractors as shutdown ends

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

POLITICS JANUARY 26, 2019 / 3:31 PM / UPDATED 17 HOURS AGO

Worries remain for U.S. government contractors as shutdown ends

Katharine Jackson
4 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Minutes after President Donald Trump announced an end to the longest U.S. government shutdown in history on Friday, Yvette Hicks’ phone started ringing.

“I had bill collectors calling me back-to-back-to-back wondering when I could start making a payment arrangement,” she said, recalling how her mood quickly changed from excitement back to worry.

Hicks, 40, a security guard at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, is one of thousands of federal government contractors who do not expect to be paid for the month of work they missed during the 35-day partial shutdown - and who remain at risk if Trump and lawmakers fail to reach a more lasting agreement beyond the current three-week deal to reopen the government.

Trump, who had demanded Democrats agree to fund construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border before he would agree to reopen the government, has signed legislation guaranteeing back pay for 800,000 federal employees affected by the shutdown.

Contractors, however, were not included, leaving many worried they won’t recover their losses.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shutdown-contractors/worries-remain-for-u-s-government-contractors-as-shutdown-ends-idUSKCN1PK0QN

[jodymarie aimee]

1. Contractors free lance... they are NOT Govt employees

I worked for the USDA in the Contracting Dept...they weren't employees and didn't go against our budget ceiling...We would have a job and 3 or more bids submitted...usually the lowest bid got the job...folks are confused about this...they are independent.