Norton to Bring Federal Contract Worker Faye Smith as Guest to State of the Union to Highlight Need for Back Pay Legislation, Tonight

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will bring Faye Smith, a District of Columbia resident and a federally-contracted Smithsonian security officer, as her guest to tonight's State of the Union address. Smith, a mother and a grandmother, is a 32BJ SEIU member who was furloughed during the Trump shutdown and was facing eviction.

Norton is the lead sponsors of two bills to provide back pay to federal contract workers, who, unlike federal employees, have not been made whole after the shutdown.

"I am grateful to Faye Smith for sharing her story and speaking forcefully on behalf on the hundreds of thousands of federal contract workers who are still suffering after being denied pay during the Trump shutdown," Norton said. "I will continue to work to help make whole our federal contract workers, who deserve back pay just as much as federal employees did."

"I am so grateful for this opportunity and excited to be a part of this historic moment," said Faye Smith. "I am from southeast Benning Road, I have two daughters and two grandchildren, but I cannot even help them because of the wages we are owed from the shutdown. That is why I will never give up until we get the pay we need and deserve to provide for our families."