Senate Democrats Reject Military Pay Bill During Shutdown
On Thursday, Senate Democrats turned down a proposal aimed at ensuring that U.S. military personnel and certain federal employees would receive their paychecks throughout the ongoing government shutdown.
The vote concluded with a tally of 54-45, primarily along party lines, in favor of the bill introduced by Republican Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin. However, it didn’t meet the 60-vote requirement for advancement. Only three Democrats joined in supporting the bill: Senators John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff from Georgia.
The Shutdown Fairness Act put forth by Johnson aimed to provide compensation for military personnel and federal employees who report to work during the shutdown, covering those working in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), air traffic control, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Unfortunately, all federal employees are at risk of not receiving their paychecks due to ongoing funding issues.
“I tend to vote for the country before party,” Fetterman noted, stating that he will consistently support military pay over party lines. He emphasized his commitment to paying Capitol Police as well.
Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat from Nevada, and Angus King, an independent from Maine who aligns with Democrats, were particularly critical of the bill. Both have been known to work across the aisle with Fetterman on funding issues.
Democrats offered their rationale against the bill, highlighting that it excluded furloughed workers. Ironically, this same group has repeatedly voted against measures to reopen the government, which would ensure all federal employees receive their pay—twelve times, in fact.
Senator Elizabeth Warren voiced her opposition, claiming it would grant President Trump the authority to determine payment for federal workers, a move she finds unacceptable. She stressed that moving forward, bipartisan efforts are necessary to resolve the funding deadlock.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders condemned the Democrats’ filibuster of the bill, despite concerns voiced within their party about federal workers being unpaid during the shutdown.
Senate Majority Leader John Barrasso criticized Democrats, saying they had a choice: either ensure essential workers were paid or leave them financially stranded over the weekend.
John Thune, also a Senate Majority Leader, pointed out the hypocrisy in Democrats refusing to pay their own staff while still receiving their own salaries. Many lawmakers are requesting their paychecks to be withheld during the shutdown.
The government shutdown, now in its 23rd day, is anticipated to last at least until next week. The Senate will reconvene on Monday to discuss another attempt to end the shutdown for the thirteenth time.
It appears that unless Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposes funding measures, the bill might fail once more.
Ron Johnson remarked on the situation, saying that the Democrats seem stubborn and hypocritical, recalling their calls for a clean continuing resolution during past shutdowns.
“Here we are, ready to provide a straightforward continuing resolution based on President Biden’s spending levels, but they won’t accept it,” Johnson concluded.
