Democrat-friendly labor union urges Congress to pass GOP funding bill, open govt

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(The Center Square) – As the ongoing government shutdown hits the 27-day mark, the largest federal employee union is urging the U.S. Senate to pass Republicans’ funding stopgap bill.

Representing 820,000 federal workers, the American Federation of Government Employees has until now made only general requests that U.S. lawmakers find a way to reopen the government. More than 95% of AFGE’s political donations go to Democratic federal candidates, according to OpenSecrets.

In a statement Monday, however, AFGE National President Everett Kelley specifically pressed lawmakers to advance Republicans’ House-passed Continuing Resolution to reopen and fund the government. 

Kelley argued that “both political parties have made their point” and “there is no ‘winning’ a government shutdown.”

“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike,” he said. “Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues.”

All but three Senate Democrats voted to block the CR a dozen times since Sept. 30, the day before the government shut down. 

Since then, hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed and missed their paychecks. Federal employees considered “essential,” such as air traffic controllers and military service members, are currently working without pay. 

The CR would have originally provided lawmakers a seven-week window to finish all 12 annual appropriations bills as federal funding remained on cruise control. But with over half that time period now gone during the shutdown, House Republicans may have to draw up a new CR that extends funding beyond the original Nov. 21 end date.

Despite the record-setting length of the current shutdown, Democrats are sticking with their health care policy ultimatums. In exchange for Democratic votes, they want Republican leaders to guarantee an extension of the enhanced version of Obamacare Premium Tax Credits, set to expire Dec. 31. 

Senate Democrats even filibustered the 2026 Department of Defense appropriations bill, which would not have ended the government shutdown but would have ensured military service members at least receive paychecks.

They also blocked a Republican bill that would have ensured essential workers received pay during a shutdown. Only Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa.; Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., voted in favor. 

In an X post Monday, Fetterman said AFGE “is firmly on the right side of this and we should absolutely listen.”

“Our servicemembers, federal workers, and Capitol Police are hurting. It’s one of many reasons why I’ve continuously voted to open our government,” the Pennsylvania senator wrote. “We need to end this chaos.”