Maryland Senators Oppose GOP Bill Limiting Federal Worker Back Pay During Shutdown
Maryland Democratic senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks opposed a Republican bill that would provide back pay only to essential federal workers during the government shutdown, advocating instead for comprehensive compensation for all affected employees.
Maryland's Democratic senators voted Thursday against a Republican proposal that would provide back pay only to certain essential federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown. The Shutdown Fairness Act, introduced by Senate Republicans, would pay federal law enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents, air traffic controllers and active troops during the shutdown while excluding other federal employees.
Senator Chris Van Hollen argued against the selective approach during Senate debate, stating that "The best way to make sure that federal employees – all federal employees – get paid, and that the American people get the benefits of their services, is to reopen the government and do it now." Senator Angela Alsobrooks echoed this position, emphasizing that "Our ask today is simple: pay them for the jobs that they were hired to do."
Van Hollen introduced an alternative measure, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, which would provide back pay for the entire furloughed workforce and prohibit firings of federal workers during government shutdowns. The bill has gained support from several federal employee unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees and National Federation of Federal Employees.
The debate revealed sharp philosophical differences between the parties regarding presidential authority during shutdowns. Van Hollen clashed with Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, calling Johnson's bill "dangerous" and arguing that "We certainly shouldn't set up a system where the president of the United States gets to decide what agencies to shut down...who to pay and who not to pay, who to punish, who to not punish." Johnson countered that he didn't "think we should limit the president's ability...to properly manage the federal government, and make the tough decisions, sometimes, to reduce the workforce."
The human impact of the shutdown continues to grow as it enters its fifth week. NFFE National President Randy Erwin stated that over 1 million employees will miss paychecks, with many "picking up second jobs, filing for unemployment, and waiting in lines at food banks just to survive." Erwin detailed how workers have been "forced to cancel trips to see family, removed their children from sports and extracurricular activities, and are struggling to pay for childcare and college tuition."
Maryland, home to more than 160,000 federal employees, has been particularly affected by the shutdown. Alsobrooks noted that "It's been 23 days of this administration using the shutdown as an excuse to further target federal workers who are my constituents." The Republican back pay measure failed to reach the 60-vote threshold for passage, with a final tally of 54 in favor. Meanwhile, the House remains out of session on the orders of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, who insists he will not negotiate with Democrats over terms of ending the shutdown, leaving Congress without an immediate path to paying federal workers.