Federal worker union wants government shutdown to end
The largest union representing federal workers called on Democrats in Congress on Monday to end the ongoing government shutdown by voting for a temporary funding measure proposed by Republicans.
“It’s time to get a clean go ahead and end this shutdown today,” said President Everett Kelley. American Federation of Public Employeeswrote.
“No half-measures and no gamesmanship. Send every single federal employee back to work — today — with full back pay,” said Kelley, whose union represents more than 800,000 federal and District of Columbia government employees.
“Because the people who serve this country are not looking for a partisan game while they stand in food bank lines after missing their second paycheck due to this shutdown,” Kelley said. “They are after the wages they have earned. It is a national shame that they have been cheated.”
The shutdown began Oct. 1 and led to the furloughing of nearly 900,000 federal workers.
Senate Democrats have largely resisted voting on the clean resolution that would fund the government through Nov. 21 and have said they want any funding measures to expand Affordable Care Act tax credits.
These subsidies, which expire at the end of 2025, reduce the cost of Obamacare health insurance plans for more than 20 million Americans.
Republicans say the fate of the ACA tax credits should be considered only after funding decisions are made.
At least 60 senators must vote for such a measure because of the Senate’s filibuster rules. Republicans hold only 53 seats in this chamber.
In his statement, Kelley did not explicitly address the issue of ACA subsidies, but he appeared to address it, writing: “Immediately reopen the government with a clean, ongoing resolution that allows debate on larger issues to continue.”
“Both political parties have made their case, and there is still no clear outcome on the horizon,” Kelley wrote. “Unfortunately, shutdowns have become a recurring tactic in Washington.”
“But there is no ‘win’ in shutting down the government. It costs taxpayers billions of dollars, hurts small businesses, and erodes trust in the government itself,” he said.
