Congress moves to shield federal workers from shutdown layoffs
H.R. 5676 — Stop Stealing Our Jobs Act · Filed by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) · 16 cosponsors · Introduced Oct 3, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill prohibits the President and agency heads from firing civil service employees during government shutdowns (periods when Congress has not appropriated funds). Political appointees—senior officials and policy staff—are exempt and can still be removed. The bill protects ordinary federal workers from losing their jobs when Congress fails to pass a budget.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a prohibition on terminating civil service employees during appropriations lapses. It is a straightforward worker-protection measure with no hidden riders or complex cross-references.
What the text implies
- Shutdowns may become longer or more frequent if agencies cannot reduce payroll during fiscal crises, potentially increasing pressure on Congress to appropriate funds or on agencies to furlough workers instead of terminating them.
- The bill does not address furloughs (temporary unpaid leave), which remain a legal alternative during shutdowns and may become the de facto tool for workforce reduction.
- Political appointees remain removable during shutdowns, preserving the President's ability to reshape policy staff even when Congress has not appropriated funds.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Federal employees—ordinary workers with families and mortgages—gain explicit protection against job loss during shutdowns, a period of maximum vulnerability when they are already working without pay. The restriction applies only to civil service staff, not political appointees, so it does not shield officials from accountability.
Named in the bill
Executive agencies, Civil Service, Senior Executive Service, Schedule C positions, Political appointees
Where it stands
16 cosponsors: 16 Democrats.
- Oct 3, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Oct 3, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,280 characters) on Jul 6, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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