Keep Government workers working!

The four hour waits at airports are over. An easier way avoid the delays, and keep 500 TSA workers from leaving their jobs, would require a minimal congressional modification to an existing law. The Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (signed by Donald Trump) provides for federal workers’ eventual reimbursement for hours spent on the job. This means that “the full faith and credit of the United States” guarantees that workers will be paid once the Congress does its job. There is no higher quality, more secure investment rating on today’s world markets.

If the Treasury Department were authorized by the Congress to advance salary payments to unfunded workers on a biweekly basis, it could ask the financial community to invest the needed cash, offering minimal returns. Treasury could then direct it to the workers through existing payroll systems, without a single day’s delay. This workaround will keep America moving while the Congress plays around.