Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) objected to a request by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Thursday for the Senate to right away think about and move a invoice to pay all federal staff, members of the army and federal contractors throughout the 2025 authorities shutdown.
The True Shutdown Equity Act would additionally stop the Trump administration from making an attempt mass layoffs of federal staff throughout the shutdown, worker restructurings generally known as reductions in power.
Van Hollen’s request got here shortly earlier than the Senate was slated to vote on a invoice from Johnson to pay active-duty members of the army and different federal staff who’ve been required to work throughout the shutdown.
The Maryland Democrat, talking on the Senate flooring, mentioned the easiest way to care for federal staff could be to reopen the federal authorities, and he blasted Home Republicans for being “AWOL” and on an prolonged recess throughout the shutdown.
“We should not be punishing federal employees for something they had nothing to do with. They’re not responsible. They’re innocent bystanders,” he mentioned.
Johnson famous there was a number of overlap between Van Hollen’s invoice and his personal Shutdown Equity Act.
He urged Van Hollen help the procedural movement to permit the Senate to proceed to his personal invoice, so it might be debated and amended — and maybe even handed — on the Senate flooring.
Johnson mentioned merely approving Van Hollen’s invoice by unanimous consent with out overview and debate wouldn’t be the fitting strategy.
“Passing it by unanimous consent is not the way to get it done,” he mentioned.
