HRES 807119th CongressIn Committee

Of inquiry requesting the President to transmit certain information to the House of Representatives referring to the firings, dismissal, reduction in force, or withholding of pay for the period of the lapse in appropriations of furloughed employees of the United States Government.

Introduced: Oct 14, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Mfume, Kweisi [D-MD-7] (D-Maryland)

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H. Res. 807 is an “of inquiry” resolution introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. It directs the President to transmit to the House, within 14 days of adoption and in complete, unredacted form, a set of documents related to any actions or plans surrounding a federal lapse in appropriations (i.e., a government shutdown) beginning October 1, 2025. Specifically, it seeks materials on proposed reductions in force, any efforts to determine whether the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 creates a self-executing pay obligation for furloughed federal employees, plans to withhold pay during the lapse, and communications among the White House, the Vice President, and key federal agencies (OPM, OMB, OSC, MSPB) about these issues. The goal is to increase congressional transparency and oversight over how the administration would handle staffing and compensation during a lapse in funding. As an information-request resolution, it does not itself change law but compels the executive branch to provide documents the House deems relevant to how decisions would be made during a lapse in appropriations.

Key Points

114-day transmission deadline: The President must provide the requested documents within 14 days after adoption.
2Scope of documents: Includes meetings notes, audio records, emails, texts, and other communications or records related to the topics listed.
3Four subject areas:
4Unredacted disclosure: Requires copy of documents in the President’s possession in complete, unredacted form.
5Procedural nature: Introduced in the House and referred to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee; serves as a congressional information-gathering instrument rather than a bill changing policy.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Federal employees who are furloughed or deemed excepted during a lapse in appropriations; federal agencies planning or implementing staffing actions during a funding lapse.Secondary group/area affected: The executive branch (the White House, OMB, OPM, OSC, MSPB) that would compile and provide the requested materials; Members of Congress and congressional committees conducting oversight.Additional impacts: Increased transparency and potential political or public scrutiny of government pay policies and legal interpretations related to furloughs; potential influence on interagency decision-making during funding gaps.Lapse in appropriations: A temporary government shutdown caused by Congress not passing annual funding bills.Furloughed employees: Federal workers who are placed off duty without pay during a lapse.Excepted employees: Federal workers who perform essential functions and continue working during a lapse, often with pay status impacted later.Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) of 2019: A law referenced here as a point of legal interpretation about whether furloughed pay is automatically required (self-executing) after a lapse ends. The resolution seeks materials on any agency efforts to interpret or challenge that concept.Self-executing: A legal provision that operates automatically without further implementing legislation.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 16, 2025