Congress gets paid during a government shutdown. What about the janitors? - Poynter

""If the government shuts down, members of Congress still get paid," said Dan Koh, host of "The People's Cabinet" podcast in a clip he posted Sept. 29 on X. "The janitors never get paid." Koh, who worked as deputy assistant to former President Joe Biden, said in the clip that almost all janitors who work on federal property are employed by private contractors."

""There is no obligation, and Donald Trump, I guarantee you, has no intention of paying these janitors if the government shuts down," Koh said. "So they get completely screwed. There is no back pay. They just get no money." Democrats and Republicans are in a battle over whether to extend expiring subsidies for the Affordable Care Act and reverse Medicaid cuts in must-pass legislation. If not resolved, it could lead to a government shutdown."

Many federal employees face losing paychecks if the government shuts down on Oct. 1, with private-contracted janitors particularly vulnerable. Nearly all janitors who work on federal property are employed by private contractors and can be denied pay and back pay during a shutdown. Democrats and Republicans are disputing whether to extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse Medicaid cuts in must-pass legislation, and failure to resolve the dispute could trigger a shutdown. Members of Congress continue receiving pay during shutdowns under a permanent, mandatory appropriation and Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution; most receive $174,000 annually, with higher pay for leaders.

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