Senate Democrats largely rejected a plea from a longtime party ally, the nation’s largest federal workers union, on Tuesday, voting down a clean funding measure for the 13th time and prolonging the ongoing government shutdown into its 28th day.
The Senate vote, which aimed to temporarily fund the government through November 21st, fell short of the required 60-vote threshold, with a tally of 54 to 45.
This tally has remained consistent throughout the shutdown, with only three members of the Democratic caucus—Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (Pennsylvania), Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), and Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine)—crossing party lines to support reopening the government.
Federal Workers Union Calls for Action
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to continue the shutdown follows an open letter from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents the country’s largest federal workers union. AFGE National President Everett Kelley urged Democrats to vote for the House-passed spending bill to reopen the government.
“Federal workers – your constituents, who serve your constituents – are hurting,” Kelley wrote on Monday. “As president of the largest federal employee union, I cannot countenance the sight of workers I represent standing in food lines. It should trouble the conscience of every member of Congress and indeed every American.”
Democrats Signal Ongoing Resistance
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, acknowledged the gravity of the AFGE’s concerns, telling reporters that his caucus was taking them “seriously” and noting the union members “have been our friends.” Hundreds of thousands of federal workers missed their first full paycheck on Friday, and more employees, including air traffic controllers, did not receive their government salary on Tuesday.
However, Durbin signaled that Democrats intend to keep the government shuttered until various partisan demands are met, citing concerns such as the increase in health insurance premiums as “devastating for American families.”
Republicans Decry “Leverage” Strategy
Senate Republicans sharply criticized Democrats for continuing the shutdown, highlighting the immediate threat to federal programs. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the “pain is becoming intolerable for the American people,” pointing specifically to federal food aid and early childhood support programs—including the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program—slated to run out of funding on or before November 1st.
“The Democrats view that as leverage,” Barrasso asserted. “All we’re simply trying to do is fund the government at last year’s levels and keep it open until we can get the appropriations process going,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune added on Fox News.
Fetterman Emerges as Critic
Sen. John Fetterman, who has emerged as a vocal critic of his party’s strategy, argued that Democrats should heed the union’s plea. “Our servicemembers, federal workers, and Capitol Police are hurting. It’s one of many reasons why I’ve continuously voted to open our government,” Fetterman wrote on X. “We need to end this chaos.”
Despite the bipartisan support for reopening the government from a small number of Democrats, Senator Thune expressed hope that enough rank-and-file members would eventually “come to their senses to give us the five votes that we need to actually get the government reopened again.”
READ: Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman Breaks Ranks, Urges Dems To End Shutdown
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