Furloughed federal employees hold placards during a protest event outside the U.S. Capitol to demand an end of federal workers' lockout after the government shutdown in Washington DC on October 4, 2013. Photo: Xinhua

US Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Saturday unanimously approved a bill to pay back about 800,000 furloughed government workers once the current partial government shutdown ends.

The 407-0 vote in the lower chamber was bipartisan despite the ongoing fiscal wrangle between Democrats and Republicans. The bill now goes to the Democratic-led Senate for approval. The White House has voiced its support for this measure, saying President Barack Obama will sign it into law.

The US federal government lurched into a shutdown after Congress failed to pass a funding bill by Monday's midnight deadline. Republicans in the House were demanding changes to Obama 's signature health care law in exchange for funding the government, which the White House opposes. The first government shutdown in 17 years affected about 800,000 non-essential government workers.

In the United States, the federal government workers who are forced to stay home won't get paid while they are furloughed until Congress approves back bay for these employees. Furloughed government employees were compensated for lost time during the last government shutdown between December 1995 and January 1996.


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Pentagon to recall most furloughed civilian employees

The United States Department of Defence announced Saturday that it will recall most of its 400,000 or so furloughed civilians starting next week.

The statement announced by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, was based on a law called "Pay Our Military Act," which was passed by Congress and signed by US President Barack Obama shortly before the shutdown of partial federal government, the first in 17 years.