Senate Democrats are taking a close look at a Republican proposal to pay all federal employees — including essential and furloughed workers — as they’re under new pressure from the nation’s largest federal workers union to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.
They also plan to introduce legislation to pay for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and extend funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants,...
Senate
Democrats vote against ‘clean’ GOP bill to end shutdown despite union pressure
Senate Democrats are resisting calls from the nation’s largest union representing federal workers — a longtime political ally — to accept Republicans’ “clean” stopgap to reopen the government.
It is the latest display of how outside pressure and deadlines have failed to move the parties away from their entrenched positions surrounding Democrats’ demands to negotiate on health care as the shutdown reaches its fourth week.
“I get where they're coming from. We want t...
Senate Democrats block government funding bill for 13th time
Senate Democrats on Tuesday voted for the 13th time to block a House-passed bill to reopen the federal government, despite a plea this week by the nation’s largest federal workers union to end the 28-day shutdown.
The House-passed measure to fund the government through Nov. 21 failed by a 54-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to advance.
Only three members of the Democratic caucus voted to advance the bill: Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) a...
GOP, Democrats face rising pressure on multiple fronts to end shutdown
Pressure is building on Democratic and Republican leaders to end the 28-day shutdown after the nation’s largest federal workers union called for an end to the stalemate as rank-and-rile GOP lawmakers sound the alarm over rising health insurance premiums.
The blunt message from Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, is one of the biggest developments in the monthlong standoff.
It appeared to be aimed squarely ...
Largest government union calls for clean CR to end shutdown
The largest union representing federal workers is calling for an end to the government shutdown, as it hits Day 27.
In a Monday release, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley said “it’s time” for Congress to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the government.
“No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” Kelley said. “Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”
Disgust with lawmakers may lead GOP, Democrats to seek end to shutdown
Democratic and Republican strategists and pollsters agree that the government shutdown, which will hit the 30-day mark this week, is a growing liability for both parties, which could push congressional leaders to look for an off-ramp to the stalemate soon.
Republicans passed a clean continuing resolution and can argue that Democrats triggered the shutdown by voting for the same type of straightforward funding bill they passed 13 times when they controlled the White House an...
Congress under the gun on military pay as Trump’s $8 billion dries up
Time is running out to find the next solution to get service members paid during the government shutdown, as the $8 billion the Trump administration found to cover troops’ paychecks is due to run out at the end of the month.
After Senate Democrats on Thursday sank a vote on Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-Wis.) bill to pay active-duty military personnel and federal employees required to work during the shutdown, troops, sailors and Air Force members may not receive their Oc...
Paul floats bipartisan commission amid Affordable Care Act subsidies battle
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) called on President Trump to appoint a select group of bipartisan senators to a commission tasked with addressing the expiring health care subsidies — the issue at the core of the ongoing shutdown standoff.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” the libertarian senator suggested Democrats could agree to reopen the government for a one-month period, during which the commission would formulate proposals to address the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) t...
USDA website slams Senate Democrats over SNAP battle: ‘Well has run dry’
The Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) website has placed an advisory blaming Senate Democrats for the impending absence of food assistance benefits on its website.
Starting Nov. 1, it is likely that over 40 million low-income beneficiaries will not receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aid. The USDA, which runs the program, is threatening to withhold between $5 billion and $6 billion in SNAP contingency funding if the government shutdown lasts until nex...
Whole Hog Politics: Democrats have already won the shutdown, but it won’t be cheap
Two big data points in the headlines this week: 1) The average cost of a family health insurance plan will be $27,000 for coverage next year and 2) The federal debt grew faster than any time other than the pandemic and surpassed $38 trillion on Wednesday.
Both of these are objectively bad and both carry substantial political danger, but only one of them is likely to get much attention as the government shutdown sinks into its fourth week.
There are a lot of ways t...