September 26, 2025
Mr. Olszewski (for himself, Ms. Pettersen, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Carson, Mr. Cisneros, Ms. Craig, Ms. Elfreth, Ms. Friedman, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Lee of Nevada, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Moulton, Ms. Norton, Ms. Randall, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Walkinshaw, Mr. Whitesides, Ms. Barragán, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Horsford, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Lieu, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Torres of California, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Ms. Dexter, Ms. Scholten, and Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
To prohibit the removal of Federal employees during any lapse in discretionary appropriations, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Limitation on removing Federal employees during Government shutdown
Notwithstanding any other provision of law—
(1)
during a Government shutdown due to a lapse in discretionary appropriations with respect to a Federal agency, no employee of such agency may be removed from the civil service; and
(2)
if any employee is so removed in violation of paragraph (1), on the date on which such lapse ends such employee may elect to be reinstated with back pay in accordance with section 5596 of title 5, United States Code.