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Report: Trump May Not Sign Funding Deal If It Includes Contractor Back Pay

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) told ABC that Trump “won't sign” a deal with contractor back pay because contractors are “different in his view.”

President Trump may not agree to a funding deal to avoid an upcoming government shutdown if Democrats include funds for contractor back pay, ABC News reports. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) said the president “won't sign” a deal with contractor back pay because contractors are “different in his view.” A source told ABC News that such a push to pay contractors would be a “logistical nightmare” because many contractors are paid through third parties, which could increase the risk of fraud. Another source said the implementation of a system that would allow for contractor back pay “could be as high [in cost] as the actual payouts to contractors,” and emphasized that “risk of improper payment, overpayment, and fraud, waste and abuse” could be “significant.” According to ABC News, the contractor back pay issue has never been previously addressed in past government shutdowns.