Donald Trump says that, following his cave on the government shutdown, federal workers will receive their back pay “very quickly.” That’s nice, but let’s be clear that it will not undo the damage that’s been done to these workers.
Back pay won’t be enough for the people who sold their cars—they’re either going to pay more to replace those cars or they’re going to end up with worse cars. That’s the thing about the used car market.
Furloughed Forest Service employee Debra-Ann Brabazon told the New York Times she was spending $100 for a background check in hopes of getting work as a substitute teacher. She was spending that $100 when she was down to eating one meal a day. Back pay will not give her back that $100 she spent, and it will not retroactively feed her the meals she missed.
Back pay won’t come with extra to cover any lingering health effects for the workers who skipped medications—for themselves or their children—because they couldn’t afford them.
A lump sum at the end doesn’t cover all the ways these workers lost out. They’ve worried and scrimped and cut corners and sold their belongings, and they will end up behind. And those are the lucky ones who will get back pay, as contract workers will not. Do not lose sight of the damage Trump’s shutdown has done here.