Sen. Ron Johnson a member of the Senate Budget and Finance Committees, accused Senate Democrats of “stall tactics” prolonging the funding impasse during an interview with Newsmax on Wednesday.
The Wisconsin Republican, speaking on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America,” called on the Democrat caucus to approve a “clean” continuing resolution to keep the government open, arguing that Republicans had already passed such a measure in the House.
Johnson outlined Republicans’ fallback strategy: the introduction of the Shutdown Fairness Act, which would guarantee pay for “excepted” federal employees who continue working despite the shutdown.
He said the bill has gained support from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, describing the endorsement as “huge” because “this is an association that generally does not support Republicans or Republican positions, but they’re coming out and saying, okay, if you guys are going to keep government closed, at a minimum, go ahead and pay the people that you’re forcing to work — federal employees.”
While Johnson remains hopeful a resolution may come “today,” he stressed that if Democrats refuse to reopen the government, the pay bill vote will proceed tomorrow.
The bill comes amid mounting concern about the human toll of the shutdown. Federal News Network reported that hundreds of thousands of employees, many of them excepted workers, may miss full paychecks this week if the stalemate continues.
At the same time, a White House legal memo has thrown the guarantee of retroactive pay into question, asserting that workers may not be owed compensation if a funding bill does not explicitly appropriate for it.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Day 21 of the shutdown, signaling a unified front urging Democrats to end the funding lapse. The meeting was described by Republicans as a chance to “get back to work for the American people,” according to CBS News.
Democrats, however, contend they will not support a funding measure unless it addresses their broader demands to extend healthcare subsidies and reverse cuts to the Affordable Care Act. They argue Republicans are attempting to force a shutdown and then shift blame.
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