Senate Democrats Kill Bill to Pay Essential Workers During Shutdown
Only three Democrats voted for the bill.
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.
🚨@PressSec brings RECIEPTS & has dems shaking:
Schumer: “every day gets better as the shutdown continues.”
Rep. Clark : "This is one of the few leverage points that we have.”
Sanders: “If you reopen the government, we lose our leverage.”
PURE partisan games. pic.twitter.com/YcHgJc1NoS
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 23, 2025
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Comments
Wow
Are not these Senators hearing from their constituents that are unable to pay bills because they shut down the government? Particularly those Federal workers in MD and VA
My Senators only listen to left wing activists who give them money.
Dems want those people in VA to suffer. They want to do everything to push Spanberger to win the governorship and they have been running the story that Youngkin hurt the state economy because of “loss of jobs” (which were really just the Trump admin cutting bloat from the fed gov)
When you have gerrymandered yourself safe jurisdictions (as of 2025, there are zero Republican federal representatives from the six New England states), and you have instituted mail in ballots, ballot harvesting and early voting, and you count the ballots (and recount until you win), you tend to feel pretty safe.
Let’s just say, modern democrats don’t actually worry too much about democracy.
LOL
the mid terms are coming
are they THAT stupid … it seems so.
their pay checks should stop as well.
Pay attention federal workers. Especially you federal workers whose unions support and contribute heavily democrats. The democrats don’t have your backs. They never have and they never will. They just want your money and your vote.
Use RICO to permanently abolish the Democrat Crime cabal
Seize EVERY asset, especially the Marxist propaganda press
No other criminal enterprise would be left intact. MAGA and “Republicans” GROW A SET Democrats conspired with hostile foreign regimes to not only import as many CRIMINAL MIGRANTS AS POSSIBLE during the Kenyan’s 3rd term, they conspired to EMPTY PRISONS AND MENTAL INSTITUTIONS and FLY THOSE PEOPLE HERE in midnight flight sponsored by our traitors in the deep state. Destinations included HPN (Westchester NY)
This is the type of thing that DIRECTLY led to the rape/murder of Jocelyn Nungary, a 12 year old Texas girl, and countless others.
It’s unlikely the Democrat crime cabal could have disappeared the mountains of evidence associated with this facet of the Democrat crime cabal.
RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) can apply to immigration crimes if they’re part of a pattern of racketeering activity conducted by an organized enterprise.
RICO targets ongoing criminal enterprises engaging in specific predicate offenses, like fraud, extortion, or trafficking. Some immigration-related crimes, such as visa fraud, human smuggling, or document trafficking, could qualify as predicate offenses if they meet RICO’s criteria: a structured group, repeated illegal acts over time, and an impact on interstate or foreign commerce. For example, a criminal organization systematically smuggling migrants or forging immigration documents for profit could face RICO charges.
However, standalone immigration violations, like illegal entry without an organized scheme, typically wouldn’t trigger RICO. Prosecutors must prove the enterprise’s structure and a pattern (at least two predicate acts within 10 years). Penalties include up to 20 years per racketeering count, fines, and asset forfeiture.
Of course they did, they’re traitors.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) claimed he had concerns “about picking and choosing among all the federal workers.”
I’m concerned that he is among the federal employees still being paid while others work the hours and don’t get paid.
Show some leadership and decline your paycheck and expense checks.
Republicans can end this by changing the filibuster specifically for CRs, which is what was done in other instances of DemoncRat obstructionism. Why don’t they do that now?
Why should they? Who voted for this effort? Who voted against it? This is all the voters need to know. Dems don’t want to pay people they know will have to be paid in any event. It’s not like they’re holding out for any principle – that these people shouldn’t be paid at all. They are using these distressed people as leverage against the Republicans and Trump’s agenda. DJT was duly elected to execute his agenda. What the Dems are doing is anti-democratic. Is anyone surprised?
They could have and early on it may have been a good option to ‘nip the whole thing in the bud’. Pass a rule change allowing a simple majority to enacted a clean CR when the Federal Govt has been ‘shut down’ longer than 2 weeks or even 30 days. That would have the advantage of setting an outer time limit on the grandstanding from d/prog, wouldn’t be operable under normal circumstances and perhaps gotten some good PR (doubtful).
As it is today…nope. Let the d/prog explain to their constituents why they ain’t getting paid. Make them vote time and again to block funding a clean CR and more limited bills to pay ‘essential’ workers. Let the d/prog go on record voting to withhold pay/benefits for the Troops, for ‘essential’ workers. Make them vote against funding WIC, EBT and other benefit programs.
The problem for the d/prog is they don’t seem to have figured out that the political party generally opposed to big govt/excessive spending (at least in theory) is in a ‘heads I win, tails you lose’ position. If the political party that generally wants big govt/big spending keeps refusing to allow a vote to fund the gov’t then those of us opposed to it shouldn’t get in their way while they create self inflicted wounds.
Because what goes around comes around. Can you imagine what they would do with only majority rule? Gun control, amnesty for all, LBGTXYZ total recognition, Medicaid or Medicare for all, open borders, 18 SCOTUS justices, and much more.
I said for the CR, not for other day-to-day matters. The filibuster rule was eliminated for a variety of appointments and I think for budget bills. The CR can be handled the same way.
Everyone hates the filibuster until they are the minority party, then they love it. Some senators in the majority party know that majorities are not forever.
Senate Democrats to their voters: For us to stay in power you must suffer. Deal with it.
Now that is a well-written headline.
It looks like the Dems have snatched another 20% position!
Notice they still draw a salary. We should be the decision makers on any Congressal pay.
“President Trump is committed to ensuring that you, the essential federal worker, never be treated like unpaid chattel slave labor during the Democrat shutdown.”
Pure campaign gold.
Georgia has 4 major military bases, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff know they will not get re-elected without the military vote.
BTW: I was in Ludowici GA at a diner called the Speedtrap today. An Army Sargent had his wife and young daughter out for lunch today. I stopped in for a milkshake after a painful chiropractor session. They have the best strawberry milkshake I have ever had. When I paid for my milkshake I told the cashier/waitress that I would pick up the Sargent’s tab. She gave a 15% discount when i paid the bill. She had tears running down her face as I left her a 25% tip.
It is payback. During my time in the service I had over 20 free meals due to true patriots.
Pope Gregory X had seen conclaves last months, even years. He had had enough. In 1274, he modified the rules. After 4 days of black smoke, he limited the voting cardinals to two servants and started rationing their food. On day 9, they got even less food. White smoke magically appeared sooner. And has ever since.
Perhaps congress could use a little Gregorian encouragement.