Senate Democrats may be open to supporting a Republican proposal to pay all federal workers — essential and furloughed employees alike — during the government shutdown, but they say they need more time to review the details of the legislation.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) has proposed to Democrats modifying his legislation, the Shutdown Fairness Act, to pay federal and furloughed workers, something similar to what Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) asked for unanimous consent to pass on the Senate floor last week.
The key difference between Johnson’s amended proposal and what Van Hollen proposed last week is that Johnson’s bill would not restrict President Trump’s authority to manage the federal workforce through reductions in force (RIF).
Van Hollen’s bill specifically prohibits the Trump administration from attempting mass layoffs while federal departments and agencies are shuttered.
Van Hollen said “there are some issues we need to resolve” regarding the latest GOP proposal. He said limiting Trump’s authority to fire federal employees during the shutdown is “an important piece of it.”
“You can’t have a situation where they can punish people through RIF,” he said.
Democrats are under growing pressure to end the shutdown after Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the nation’s largest union of federal workers, called on lawmakers Monday to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.
Several Democrats on Tuesday said they will take a close look at Johnson’s newest offer to pay all federal workers during the shutdown.
“It’s something we’ll take a close look at. I think if we could get it right, it’s something that would get a lot of support,” said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.).
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said he wants to talk with Van Hollen, “who’s taking the lead on our side.”
“Clearly, we need to get the government reopened and we also need to avoid the healthcare cliff. Let me talk to Van Hollen,” he said.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he would review the details of the GOP offer to pay federal workers before they miss another paycheck.
“I would need to go look at the details of that,” he said.
