Hundreds of US federal workers unpaid, flights delayed: Lawmakers draw flak for govt shutdown

The US government has been in shutdown mode since last week, triggering flight disruptions and causing panic among federal employees about their salaries. Amid all this, lawmakers are facing mounting pressure to end the government shutdown.

Worries over paychecks increased after President Donald Trump announced, earlier this week, that some federal employees may not be entitled to back pay after the shutdown lifts, adding that the payments will depend on who he deems “deserving” of the money.

Democrats have withheld support for the Republican-led proposal, arguing that it undermines healthcare access for low-income Americans. They are pushing for any funding bill to protect health insurance subsidies for lower-income individuals and to restore Medicaid funding that was reduced by the Trump administration.

Republicans mull a vote offer to Dems

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Semafor that GOP leaders are weighing a potential offer to Democrats: a future vote on extending health care subsidies in exchange for ending the government shutdown deadlock.

He said that “if there are 8 or 10 Democrats that vote to open up” in exchange for a vote on the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, “that might be an off-ramp” to reopen the government.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso has similarly said that senators “are in discussions” to make a vote offer to Democrats.

However, Republicans remain firm that any action on reviving the subsidies, including the details, must wait until after the government reopens. Just as notably, they’re refusing to guarantee enough support to pass such a measure, which would also require backing from the House and Trump.

Barrasso said, “We need to open the government, and then we can have all the discussions and votes and talks and all of those things.”

One Democratic senator has told Semafor that even if one vote on both the ACA subsidies and bipartisan appropriations bills can be guaranteed by Thune might be enough for Democrats to switch from no to yes on the contentious spending bill.

Dems preparing their own plan

But Democrats are “privately preparing to hold their position” for weeks, CNN wrote, in part because their concerns go beyond health care.

Within the party, vulnerable Democrats are increasingly anxious about active-duty service members potentially missing paychecks on October 15, a rare occurrence in modern times. Still, Democratic leaders remain confident the party will hold its position through the deadline and beyond if needed, according to numerous conversations with lawmakers and senior aides.

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia told the outlet, “I come from a military state. Our service members are the best among us. They deserve to be paid, and working people deserve their health care. It’s not either or. It’s both hands.”