House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) broke with President Donald Trump on Thursday over whether furloughed federal workers would receive back pay once the government reopens, according to a new report.
Axios reported on Thursday that Johnson supports paying furloughed workers back pay after the shutdown ends. Recently, Trump said some furloughed workers "don't deserve" to receive any missed payments.
"Of course," Johnson told the outlet about whether Congress would approve the funding. "My understanding is federal law has always been pretty settled on that, and it's always custom that furloughed federal employees get back pay."
Trump has sought to use back pay for federal workers as a point of leverage in his negotiations with Democrats over a funding bill to keep the government open through the end of the year.
Axios previously reported on a memo circulated in the Office of Management and Budget that argued federal workers weren't necessarily "entitled" to receiving back pay.
"This would not have happened if Democrats voted for the clean CR," a senior administration official told Axios at the time.
