Senate Democrats on Friday blocked a Republican plan to guarantee pay for federal employees during the ongoing shutdown, rejecting Senator Ron Johnson’s bill twice in the span of a single afternoon—a sharp setback for GOP efforts to shield workers from the consequences of a month-long funding stalemate.
Johnson’s proposal, designed to ensure compensation for essential federal employees and military personnel working without pay, failed on a procedural vote, 53–47, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Three Democrats—Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, along with Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico—broke ranks to support the measure, noted The Hill.
On the Senate floor, Johnson noted that had the bill moved forward, he intended to offer amendments covering furloughed workers as well. Hours earlier, he had sought unanimous consent for an expanded version that would have done exactly that. But Senator Gary Peters objected, offering instead his own Military and Federal Employee Protection Act, which would guarantee back pay to service members, federal workers, and contractors dating back to October 1.
“I’m concerned that Senator Johnson’s bill still leaves too much discretion up to President Trump,” Peters said. “There’s too much wiggle room for the administration to basically pick and choose which federal employees are paid and when.”
Johnson countered that he had already made substantial changes to win Democratic buy-in, adding that “numerous unions” had endorsed the revised bill. His frustration was echoed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who delivered a pointed rebuke from the floor.
“This is a straightforward approach that addresses that issue,” Thune said, raising his voice. “And everybody in this chamber who isn’t getting paid — I can’t believe people come down here and look these people in the eye when he’s saying right here we will pay them, not only for today but for tomorrow and the entire year, and we won’t allow them to be held hostage and be pawns in a political game in the future.”
Peters had been part of bipartisan talks aimed at resolving the impasse, but those negotiations appeared to collapse a day earlier.
The failed votes underscore how the shutdown—now stretching deeper into its second month—continues to leave thousands of federal workers in limbo while partisan divisions harden around competing funding priorities.
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