Senate rejects bill to pay some federal workers
By: Zac Anderson
Zachary Schermele
Josy Garrison
and Rebecca Morin
USA Today
WASHINGTON - The Senate on October 23, [2025] rejected a Republican-backed bill to pay some feral employees who are working through the second-longest government shutdown to date.
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The bill, called the shutdown Fairness Act and sponsored by Senator Ron Johnson R-Wisconsin, would have paid employees such as air traffic controllers, military members, Border Patrol agents and other so-called essential workers forced to work during the shutdown.
..... The bill put Senate Democrats into a tough spot as Americans call for an end to the shutdown. three crossed the aisle to support the measure: Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. But Democratic leaders have argued the trump administration shouldn't get to decide which employees are essential and which should be paid.
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Democrats pushed tow countermeasures, but both failed to make it to a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. One bill would have tried to pay all federal employees and to bar the White House from issuing future layoffs. the other would have retroactively paid federal employees from October 1 , [2025] the day the bill hypothetically took effect.
..... For the 12th time on October 22, [2025] Senate Democrats blocked the GOP's short term funding bill to reopen the government. Democrats continue to insist on greater health care spending - an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, and the restoration of Medicaid benefits - as a condition of reopening the government. Republicans contend the government should reopen before health care talks begin.
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Open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act begins November 1. [2025] Premiums are projected to more than double without an extension of subsidies hat expire December 31. [2025]
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The partisan jockeying over the shutdown continued as federal workers were set to miss their first full pay checks October 24. [2025] It wasn't clear if the government has the money to pay members of the military at the end of the month. [10/2025]
..... Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of increased flight delays and cancellations as the government shutdown continues.
..... "I can;t guarantee you that your flight is going to be on time," Duffy said at an October 23 [2025] news conference with GOP lawmakers. "I can't guarantee you that your flight's not going to be canceled. It's going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work every single day."
..... Duffy said that air traffic controllers will not receive a paycheck October 28 [2025] for the work they've done in October, [2025] and that has led some workers to take on a second job like driving for Uber or Delivering food with DoorDash.
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With fewer air traffic controllers, here will be limits on the number of flights going in and out of airports to maintain safety, Duffy said.
..... The length of the shutdown is now prompting a scheduling quandary. for weeks, the Senate has repeatedly voted down a bill to reopen the government on a short-term basis until November 21, [2025] away, GOP leaders in Congress will have to decide soon whether to extend it, and by how much.