House OKs Back Pay for Furloughed Workers

For furloughed federal employees, annoyance has just turned into a paid vacation. The House of Representatives today unanimously passed a bill to make sure that everyone told to stay home during the government shutdown will get back pay, reports the Hill. The measure is expected to zip through the Senate and then get a quick signature from the president. "Today, 17 years ago, federal workers were given back pay after Newt Gingrich's record 21-day shutdown in 1995 and 1996," said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md. "It was a fair thing to do then, and it is a fair thing to do now." (It's good news for those clever federal weather forecasters who made their plea in a hidden message.)