Senate Democrats killed a bill proposed by GOP Sens. Ron Johnson (WI) and Todd Young (IN) that would have paid government essential workers during the extended shutdown.
It failed 54-45. It needed 60 votes to advance.
Only Democrat Sens. John Fetterman (PA), Raphael Warnock (GA), and Jon Ossoff (GA) voted with the Republicans.
From Fox News:
In addition to compensating federal employees and military personnel during the current shutdown, the bill would also extend relief to future instances where funding bills aren’t in effect.”For fiscal year 2026, and any fiscal year thereafter, there are appropriated such sums as are necessary to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments on a regular basis to excepted employees,” the bill reads.Johnson had pitched his bill as a long-term solution.”I just hope, on a nonpartisan basis, we do something that makes sense around here for once,” Johnson said ahead of the bill’s consideration.”With Democrats continuing the Schumer Shutdown, they should at least agree to pay all the federal employees that are forced to continue working. The 2025 Shutdown Fairness Act is a permanent fix that will ensure excepted workers and our troops are paid during a shutdown,” Johnson said.
Essential workers have worked since the government shut down on October 1.
The Democrats want to “first consider an extension to expiring COVID-19-era supplemental funding for Obamacare health insurance subsidies” before anything else.
Democrats have voted down the stopgap bill 12 times.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) claimed he had concerns “about picking and choosing among all the federal workers.”
Give me a break.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY