Duckworth, Durbin, Senate Democratic Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Pay All Federal Employees, Servicemembers and Contractors During Shutdown
The legislation would also prevent the Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal employees
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and more than 20 of their Senate Democratic Colleagues to introduce legislation that would pay all federal employees – both those excepted and furloughed – as well as servicemembers and federal contractors during the current Republican shutdown. The Senators’ legislation, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, would immediately restart pay for all excepted and furloughed federal workers, servicemembers and federal contractors during the current shutdown. The Senators’ legislation also includes a prohibition on Reductions in Force while the federal government is shut down.
The Senators’ legislation is endorsed by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Partnership for Public Service and The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
“Donald Trump has made it his mission to fire thousands of public servants, including more Veterans than any other President in history, and he’s using the shutdown he caused as pretext to fire even more of them—and now Senate Republicans want to give Trump even more power to pick and choose who he thinks deserves a paycheck for their work,” said Duckworth. “This is despicably cruel. Federal employees, servicemembers and federal contractors should not suffer the consequences of a shutdown they did not cause. Rather than cheer Trump on as he builds his extravagant and unnecessary $300 million ballroom at the White House, Senate Republicans should get back in touch with reality and help us protect workers who have been worried about how they’ll pay rent or put food on the table as the Republican shutdown continues to block their paychecks. It’s the fair and right thing to do.”
“No federal worker should miss a paycheck because of the Republican shutdown. Our legislation would ensure that any employee, whether exempted or furloughed, would receive the compensation they rightly deserve. But instead of working with Senate Democrats to make government employees whole, Senate Republicans have decided to advance a piece of legislation that would give Donald Trump and Russell Vought control over which federal workers get paid. This isn’t the way to protect our federal employees, and it isn’t the way to re-open the government,” said Durbin.
“No federal worker or servicemember should be punished for this shutdown that was brought on through no fault of their own. Republicans are hell-bent on letting Trump pick winners and losers here, but every federal worker, servicemember, and federal contractor deserves to get paid. Our legislation would ensure just that, and if Republicans are serious about supporting our federal employees, they will support it. We must keep pressing to reopen the government with a responsible agreement that holds the President accountable to the law, protects federal workers and our servicemembers, and prevents massive spikes in Americans’ health care costs,” said Van Hollen.
“As we urge our colleagues to come to the table and work on a bipartisan agreement that reopens the government, our servicemembers and federal workers are paying the price,” said Peters. “This bill would ensure military personnel and civil servants receive the compensation they depend on to support themselves and their families while we continue working toward a bipartisan funding deal.”
“Every day federal workers are out there keeping us safe, keeping our food supply secure, enforcing our laws, and caring for our veterans. They are the backbone of the services Americans count on. But from the start, this administration has treated the federal workers not as partners in serving the American people, but as adversaries to be traumatized, punished and politicized. Now, Senate Republicans want to give President Trump even more authority to decide which of these workers get paid and which get punished. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to introduce this bill to make sure every federal employee, and every contractor who works by their side in serving the American people, gets treated with the respect they deserve during this cruel Republican shutdown,” said Warner.
"Maryland is home to 494,000 patriotic federal workers and federal contractors — they have spent their lives to serving their fellow Americans — ensuring our food and water are safe, making sure our parents and grandparents get their Social Security checks, researching cures to cancer. It is our duty to ensure they are paid. We must pass legislation that ensures all federal workers receive the paychecks they earned. These workers cannot be faulted for Republicans shutting down our government. They are not political pawns, they are patriots,” said Alsobrooks.
“Since day one, the Trump Administration has enacted policy after policy to traumatize, politicize, and hollow out the federal workforce that delivers essential services to the American people. Now, Senate Republicans want to give President Trump more power to decide which of these workers get paid, and which get punished. Nothing about that is fair, and I’m proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues in proposing alternative legislation to ensure that America’s entire workforce of dedicated and patriotic federal employees is treated equally,” said Kaine.
“In New Mexico and across the country, our federal workers, servicemembers, and contractors dedicate their lives to serving the American people. These hardworking Americans should not bear the brunt of the pain Republicans are inflicting through this shutdown. That’s why I’m joining my colleagues to introduce legislation ensuring every federal employee, servicemember, and federal contractor is paid during the ongoing Republican shutdown. This legislation would also block the Trump administration’s attempts to carry out mass firings while the government remains shut down,” said Luján.
“It defies common sense and anyone’s definition of fairness to say that only certain federal employees should get paid during a shutdown, or that federal employees should be laid off during a shutdown. While the President may insist that he had ‘no choice’ but to lay off federal workers during the shutdown, let’s be clear: he’s been doing this since day one. We need to do everything we can to end this shutdown and get these folks paid and back to work,” said Welch. “Our legislation pushes back against the President’s lawless rampage and ensures all of our federal workers are paid for doing their jobs.”
“As we work to reopen the government and fight to lower skyrocketing health care costs, federal workers and their families should not have to struggle without pay because of this Republican shutdown. This legislation will restore fairness to federal worker pay, prevent Russ Vought from firing more workers, and ensure families don’t suffer because Trump and his Republican allies want thousands of Delawareans to go to work each morning without collecting a check at night,” said Coons.
This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-VA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN.), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
Read the full bill text here.
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