Republicans Reject Bill to Pay Federal Workers, Opt for Legislation that Allows Trump to Cherry-Pick Federal Workers' Paychecks

Strategic Insights -

Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) spoke on the Senate Floor advocating for Republicans to pass her and Senator Van Hollen's True Shutdown Fairness Act, which would pay all federal employees - both those excepted and furloughed - as well as service members and federal contractors during the current Republican-led shutdown. However, Republicans blocked the legislation from even getting a vote. The legislation is cosponsored by several senators, including Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.). The Senators' legislation is endorsed by several organizations, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Key Takeaways:

  • Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) introduced the True Shutdown Fairness Act, which would pay all federal employees, including those excepted and furloughed, during the Republican-led shutdown.
  • The legislation is cosponsored by several senators, including Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
  • Republicans blocked the legislation from even getting a vote, opting instead for a bill that allows President Trump to cherry-pick which federal workers get paid.
  • Around 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed this month at no fault of their own.
  • Senator Alsobrooks emphasized that federal workers don't just serve Democrats, but all Americans, and that they deserve to be paid for their labor.
  • The legislation is endorsed by several organizations, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Statistics:

  • Around 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed this month at no fault of their own.
  • The True Shutdown Fairness Act is cosponsored by 19 senators, including Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
  • The legislation is endorsed by 8 major organizations, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

Sources:

  • https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/press-releases/republicans-reject-bill-to-pay-federal-workers (Original text)
  • https://www.afge.org/ (American Federation of Government Employees)
  • https://aflcio.org/ (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations)