The largest union representing federal workers is calling for an end to the government shutdown, as it hits Day 27.
In a Monday release, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) national president Everett Kelley said “it’s time” for Congress to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) to re-open the government.
“No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” Kelley said. “Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”
The AFGE, according to its website, represents over 800,000 workers in “nearly every” federal government agency. The agencies with the most AFGE members include the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security and Defense, as well as the Social Security Administration.
The union has filed lawsuits on behalf of furloughed and laid-off workers throughout the shutdown, including on Oct. 3, when it sued the Education Department over automatic email responses from agency employees blaming congressional Democrats for the shutdown.
The shutdown, which started on Oct. 1, is already the second-longest in U.S. history. The longest occurred across 35 days during President Trump’s first term.
As of Friday, at least 670,000 federal workers have been furloughed since the funding lapse began, with roughly 730,000 working without pay, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Many federal workers received paychecks on Oct. 10 for a pay period through Sept. 30, but were not paid last Friday.
According to the Defense Manpower Data Center, there over 1.34 million active-duty military personnel as of the end of August. While the Pentagon, using $8 billion in previously appropriated funds for research, development, test and education, paid service members on Oct. 15, that money runs out at the end of the month.
“These are patriotic Americans – parents, caregivers, and veterans – forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington. That is unacceptable,” Kelley said.
On Sept. 19, the House passed a GOP-backed CR, deemed “clean” and “non-partisan” by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). Only one Democrat, Maine Rep. Jared Golden, voted for the measure.
The funding proposal, though, has failed 12 times in the Senate, with only a handful of Democrats backing it. Democrats have insisted on including a permanent extension of subsidies offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in any bill to re-open the government. Republicans, meanwhile, said they prefer to negotiate on the ACA credits after the shutdown ends.
Kelley, noting that “both political parties have made their point” during the stalemate, called on Congress to pass a clean CR, ensure back pay for active and furloughed federal workers, address rising costs and tackle the “broken” appropriations process.
“The national interest requires Congress to act immediately to bring every federal employee back to work, pay them for the work they’ve already done (or been locked out from doing), and continue having the debates and disagreements that are the hallmark of a strong democracy – without punishing the people who keep our nation running,” Kelley said.
