Thanks to the 2019 Government Shutdown Prevention Act, if there is a shutdown Friday, 11:59 p.m., eventually back pay must be provided to the majority of furloughed workers. However, with the instability and uncertainty within the government right now, many aren’t sure exactly how that will work and there is fear of paycheck implications.

On the surface, it looks like Senate Democrats are playing “hardball” with time running out before a government shutdown. But it might not be that simple.