The largest union representing federal employees is urging Democrats in Congress to end the ongoing government shutdown by supporting a stopgap funding measure proposed by Republicans. “It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), in a statement released Monday.
Kelley, whose union represents more than 800,000 federal and District of Columbia government workers, called for an immediate end to the shutdown and full back pay for all affected employees. “No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today,” he wrote.
The government shutdown, which began on October 1, has resulted in about 900,000 federal workers being furloughed. Many of them have now missed a second paycheck, and according to Kelley, some are relying on food banks to get by.
“Because when the folks who serve this country are standing in line for food banks after missing a second paycheck because of this shutdown, they aren’t looking for partisan spin,” he said. “They’re looking for the wages they earned. The fact that they’re being cheated out of it is a national disgrace.”
The funding measure under debate would keep the government running through November 21. Senate Democrats, however, have resisted voting for what’s known as a “clean” continuing resolution. They want the bill to include an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which help lower the cost of health insurance for more than 20 million Americans and are set to expire at the end of 2025.
Republicans argue that the ACA subsidies should be addressed separately from the funding measure. Because of Senate filibuster rules, at least 60 votes are needed to pass the resolution, and Republicans hold just 53 seats, making bipartisan support essential.
In his statement, Kelley did not take a side on the ACA subsidies but seemed to acknowledge the dispute. “Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues,” he wrote.
“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” Kelley added. “Unfortunately, shutdowns have become a recurring tactic in Washington. But there is no ‘winning’ a government shutdown. They cost taxpayers billions, hurt small businesses, and erode confidence in government itself.”