The Senate rejected a bill Thursday that would pay troops and federal employees working during the shutdown, leaving Republicans stuck in a logjam centered on Democrats’ healthcare demands.
In a 54-45 vote, Democrats blocked the Shutdown Fairness Act, sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), arguing it gives the White House too much authority to decide who gets paid with agencies shuttered. Besides military personnel, the measure would have funded “excepted” federal workers, meaning those who are not furloughed.
In its place, Democrats attempted to bring dueling proposals to the floor that would have paid furloughed workers as well, but it was blocked by Republicans. One, offered by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), would have put a stop to the White House’s wave of layoffs that began earlier this month.
In a floor exchange ahead of the vote, Johnson offered to add furloughed workers to the bill, but Van Hollen rejected the compromise as inadequate to address the firings undertaken by White House budget chief Russ Vought.
Johnson’s measure ultimately attracted three Democratic votes, from Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA), but not enough to overcome the filibuster.
The bills reflect the latest posturing in the shutdown fight, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) already eyeing more votes that pay segments of the federal workforce. He told the Washington Examiner in a Wednesday interview that funding for air traffic controllers and another vote on troops could be brought to the floor as soon as next week, though Democrats have rejected all GOP attempts so far to reopen the government.
A day earlier, Democrats opposed a House-passed funding bill for the 12th time, refusing to give their support without a deal on premium Obamacare subsidies that expire at the end of the year. Just two Democrats and one independent have crossed party lines on the bill, with five more needed for passage.
Senators cast Thursday’s vote while attending a lunch held to rekindle a “spirit of bipartisanship” that has eluded Congress in President Donald Trump’s second term.
THUNE TEASES SHUTDOWN VOTES TO PAY TROOPS AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
Informal talks to end the shutdown, confined to rank-and-file members, have essentially stalled, while Republican leaders refuse to engage in any healthcare negotiations until the government is reopened.
Senators will leave Washington later on Thursday, virtually guaranteeing the impasse will stretch into a fifth week. The House, for its part, has been on recess for more than a month as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pressures Democrats to accept the GOP’s funding bill, which would keep the government operating through Nov. 21.
