Posted on 10/27/2025 6:18:34 PM PDT by Red Badger
WASHINGTON — The country’s largest union representing federal workers is calling for lawmakers to pass a short-term spending measure to immediately end the government shutdown, urging Democrats to abandon their current position and join Republicans in supporting a stopgap solution.
“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley wrote in a statement first shared with NBC News. “It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship.”
The statement could increase pressure on Democrats to budge from their stance. Senate Democrats have insisted that they won’t vote to reopen the government without a commitment from Republicans and President Donald Trump on extending health care subsidies through the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Without them, health insurance premiums on Obamacare markets will skyrocket for many individuals and families.
“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,” Kelley said, stressing there should be a “resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues” like growing costs and a dysfunctional federal funding process in Congress.
“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 added. “They’re looking for the wages they earned. The fact that they’re being cheated out of it is a national disgrace.”
AFGE represents 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers across almost every agency. The group is suing the Trump administration on several fronts connected to the shutdown: first over the mass layoffs organized by Trump budget chief Russell Vought and second over partisan out-of-office email messages blaming Democrats for the shutdown that were set by the Education Department, without employees’ permission or foreknowledge.
The union believes the government should reopen now and workers should receive back pay, both those who have had to work without pay and those who have been furloughed for the last 26 days.
“None of these steps favor one political side over another. They favor the American people — who expect stability from their government and responsibility from their leaders,” Kelley said.
The House-passed continuing resolution, which has failed 12 times in the Senate so far, would expire on Nov. 21. The group says it would support either that resolution or one that would fund the government for a longer period.
Three senators who caucus with Democrats have voted with Republicans to pass the bill: John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine.
Five more would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold required.
There are no signs of negotiations between the two parties to end the stalemate, which will hit the one-month mark this week. Trump has said he’s willing to meet with Democrats only when they’ve voted to reopen the government.
“These are patriotic Americans — parents, caregivers, and veterans — forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington,” Kelley wrote. “That is unacceptable.”
Ouch...Schumer will have to bend to this happening.
He’s too stupid to see what’s happening...................
public unions should be outlawed — taxpayer is not represented
ObamaCare will die if the subsidies are not renewed.
They designed it that way.
They know as soon as the subsidies stop, ObamaCare is toast.................
Whatta they gonna do vote with us?
I can dig it.
When covid came along...the changed the eligibility criteria and costs and opened it up to a bazillion more folks.
No stupid extremely short “stop-gap”.
This shiite needs to end permanently. No more kicking the dam can down the road. The socialists want to die on this hill of illegals and endless benefits, we will oblige them.
Funny how the dems were all caring about Unions and now they don’t it seems.
They know whoes behind the curtain.
This seems significant
Yes, and AFGE knows what’s going on and they want it stopped NOW...................
They don’t because Orange man bad. They are all in to the Dem party’s demise.
Hold the line, Republicans and Trump. I am willing to suffer WHATEVER I have to and will beg by the highway if necessary to stop the healthcard fraud and food for people who will not work and are insulting us with videos on the internet STATING CLEARLY THAT OUR JOBS ARE TO WORK TO FEED THEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO WORK FOR ANYONE. WHATEVER it takes, that can NOT be approved.
They sure do. Crush this rebellion.
Shocking. Union statements always blamed Trump until now.
AFGE is a critical element of the Democrat Party.
This is important news.
Don’t be surprised if the Dems cave shortly.
Question:Just how stupid do you have to be to keep on backing the democrats?
Even if you get all you news from face-book, x, twitter, msn, msnbc, cnn. Past a certain point unless your getting a paycheck from soros or one of his ilk. You should kind of know that the left has gone mental and is circling the drain in an already flushed toilet.
Further more with the amount of screamed threats of murder and violence by the left, the woke, the liberals. How soon will it be that those threat are countered by instance deadly force?
The only thing on my mind if I ever get surrounded by screaming violent protesters in my car is the name “Reginald Denny”. Followed by me putting the car in gear and stepping on the gas.
Nope the democrats won’t do anything until after ther November election they think the can win more seats.
This a IQ test for the public you know how most of those turned out.
They know it’s them who will get laid off not the democrat reps.
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