Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) blocked Democrats on Thursday from passing a bill that would guarantee pay for federal workers, military personnel, and federal contractors caught in the 2025 government shutdown — leaving thousands of Americans in limbo.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) asked the Senate to immediately consider the True Shutdown Fairness Act, legislation designed to ensure federal employees are paid even when the government is closed. The bill would also prevent the Trump administration from carrying out mass layoffs, known as reductions in force, during the shutdown.
Van Hollen made his plea just hours before the Senate was set to vote on Johnson’s own proposal, which would cover only active-duty military members and a subset of federal employees required to work through the shutdown.
“The best way to take care of federal workers would be to reopen the federal government,” Van Hollen said on the Senate floor. He also slammed House Republicans for being “AWOL” and on an extended recess during the shutdown — highlighting the stark contrast between lawmakers’ schedules and the uncertainty facing ordinary workers.
“We should not be punishing federal employees for something they had nothing to do with. They’re not responsible. They’re innocent bystanders,” Van Hollen added, making clear that federal staff are stuck in the crossfire of partisan gridlock.
Johnson acknowledged that Van Hollen’s bill overlapped with his own Shutdown Fairness Act but insisted that Democrats should support a procedural motion to allow debate, amendments, and possible passage of his measure instead.
“Passing it by unanimous consent is not the way to get it done,” Johnson said, effectively blocking a fast-track solution that Democrats say is urgently needed.
The standoff continued when Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) introduced another proposal to pay federal employees during the shutdown — only to have Johnson object again.
