Senate Democrats have again thwarted a Republican-led initiative to ensure immediate pay for federal employees affected by the ongoing government shutdown. The measure, known as the Shutdown Fairness Act, was rejected with a vote of 53-43 on the Senate floor, falling short of the necessary 60 votes to advance.
Despite all but three Democrats voting against the bill, there is consensus within the party about the importance of compensating federal workers during the shutdown. Democrats contend that the current GOP proposal lacks sufficient safeguards against potential misuse by the Trump administration. In its initial iteration, the legislation aimed to provide pay to excepted workers who were still on the job, but after initial failure two weeks ago, lawmakers expanded the scope to also include furloughed employees and federal contractors.
Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who co-sponsored the bill, defended it against Democratic criticisms, arguing that the legislation is designed to prevent federal workers from being unduly punished for political gridlock. He emphasized that the bill, if enacted, would backdate payments to October 1, the beginning of the shutdown.
Democratic Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.) articulated concerns regarding the bill, suggesting it could enable the administration to limit pay to select groups within the federal workforce. He stressed the need for a proposal, the Military and Federal Employee Protection Act, which aims to clarify that funds allocated should strictly be used for compensating employees.
The current shutdown has left many federal employees, including both those continuing to work and those furloughed, without pay for weeks, resulting in significant financial distress. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union representing federal workers, has expressed strong support for Johnson’s legislation, referring to it as a meaningful step forward and urging Congress to pass it to mitigate the ongoing financial strain on employees.
Despite setbacks in passing the bill, there have been indications of bipartisan discussions aimed at resolving the shutdown, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) offering a new proposal to reopen the government. Although this proposal was met with skepticism from Republican leaders, the Senate is expected to remain in session over the weekend, a development that has emerged as a potential sign of progress in addressing the funding lapse.
As lawmakers continue to work towards a resolution, the well-being of federal employees hangs in the balance, with calls for a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government gaining traction. The urgency of passing a solution is underscored by the fact that time is running out for many workers whose financial stability is increasingly jeopardized by the ongoing shutdown.