To the editor: Shutdowns reward nonessential workers, punish essential ones

When Washington shuts down, the script is depressingly familiar. Agencies scramble, headlines blare, and millions of Americans wonder what exactly stops — and what doesn’t. What almost never gets said out loud is: back pay will be 100 percent restored when it’s over as guaranteed by law since 2019. Which means a shutdown functions less like a serious budget tool and more like a perverse paid-leave program for some, while others carry the whole load with no pay until the logjam breaks.