The federal government shutdown, now the second longest in U.S. history, is threatening the pay of millions of federal civilian workers and troops. KHJ News Washington DC correspondent Matt Kaye reports…
Senate Majority Leader John Thune Thursday as the shutdown over extending COVID-era Obamacare subsidies neared four weeks…
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[Transc.] Thune: “Tomorrow, federal workers will miss a full paycheck.”
And the troops, several thousand from American Samoa, could be next. House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers on October 17th…
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[Transc.] Rogers: “We had 2 (M) million service members that were able to get paid this week because of President Trump’s creativity…I do want you to know that option is not going to be available in two-weeks for their next paycheck.”
And it’s not just the troops working without pay, but 13,000 air traffic controllers, many taking second jobs to pay their bills. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy…
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[Transc.] Duffy: “Next Tuesday, is the first paycheck they will not receive for the work that they did in October. I want to make one other point really clear…safety is paramount for us. So, if we don’t have the staffing levels in a tower, TRACON or center, you will see us delay traffic. You will see us delay flights.”
And thousands have been delayed or cancelled during the shutdown.
Amid the suffering, the two parties failed to even advance a bill by Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson to pay those who must show up for work.
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[Transc.] Johnson: “For the benefit of those 2-point-8 (M) million workers, our military, our law enforcement, let’s take that burden off them today.”
Democrats had proposed paying all federal workers, furloughed or not, but that President Trump is not able to fire more of them, but that proposal was blocked by Republicans. In turn, Democrats blocked Johnson’s bill.
