Liberal Unions Will Accept ‘Severe Hardship’ If They Can Stick It To Trump During Shutdown
As the partial government shutdown nears the three-week mark, a growing number of federal employee unions are throwing their support behind Democratic leaders who appear more interested in political theater than reopening the government.
The Federal Unionists Network (FUN), joined by 35 national, state, and local unions, sent a memo Monday to top Democrats urging them to resist a clean Republican budget plan — effectively endorsing a prolonged shutdown that could devastate their own members.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have both signaled they’re content to let the government stay closed until President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans cave to demands that include taxpayer-funded health benefits for illegal immigrants.
“A government shutdown is never Plan A,” the letter from FUN and its cosponsors reads. “Federal workers and the communities we serve will face severe hardship. But federal workers will willingly forego paychecks in the hopes of preserving the programs we have devoted our lives to administering.”
The memo continues, “In order to save our services today, we need to send a message to this Administration that enough is enough.”
That “message,” however, comes at a steep cost. According to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, Democrats’ latest proposal — to permanently extend Obamacare’s premium subsidies — would cost American taxpayers $350 billion over the next decade.
Republicans have argued that government funding should be addressed first, pointing out that those subsidies don’t even expire until December 31.
For Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Democrats’ tactics amount to political hostage-taking. Thune has offered a fair compromise — a Senate vote on the Affordable Care Act tax credits in exchange for reopening the government — but Democratic leadership continues to block even basic motions to debate funding measures.
“The Dems, someday, they’re going to rue the day they did this, because we have offered up an open appropriations process, regular order, doing things that way,” Thune told Fox News.
“I think it’s unfortunate, but it’s a reality that we’re dealing with,” he added. “And I hope they change their mind and realize that it’s in everybody’s best interest to try and at least get the government open and then start going to work and funding the government the old-fashioned way.”
So far, only three Democrats — John Fetterman (PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), and Angus King (ME) — have broken ranks to support reopening the government. Even so, Thune told Fox News that more Democrats are privately signaling they’re ready to cross the aisle.
The House has already passed a temporary funding measure to keep the government open through late November. But Schumer continues to pressure his caucus to oppose it, ensuring the shutdown drags on as Democrats posture for the cameras.
Meanwhile, federal employees — the very workers Democrats claim to champion — are the ones paying the price.