Liberal Unions Will Accept ‘Severe Hardship’ If They Can Stick It To Trump During Shutdown
Numerous federal labor unions are signaling they are prepared to allow the ongoing government shutdown to continue — even though extended shutdowns can result in lost pay, financial distress, and even long-term employment risks for many of their own members.
The Federal Unionists Network (FUN), along with 35 national, state, and local unions, circulated a memo to top Democratic leadership urging them to reject a clean GOP budget package. Their stance effectively encourages Democrats to hold the government shut down as leverage in negotiations, despite the immediate suffering that federal workers could face.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have both indicated they are willing to prolong the shutdown unless President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans agree to expand benefits for illegal immigrants, among other progressive priorities.
“A government shutdown is never Plan A,” the letter from FUN and the 35 sponsoring unions stated. “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.”
“In order to save our services today, we need to send a message to this Administration that enough is enough,” the memo continued.
Notably, Schumer himself previously defended bipartisan cooperation to keep the government open earlier this year, citing the immense harm a shutdown would cause to federal employees. Yet now, his caucus is using those same workers as bargaining chips.
At the center of the Democrats’ demands is a push to permanently extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies implemented during the Biden administration. According to a Congressional Budget Office report, such an extension would cost taxpayers approximately $350 billion over the next decade.
Republicans argue that it is irresponsible to hold current government funding hostage over tax credits that do not expire until December 31 and insist that Congress should resolve the shutdown before negotiating broader healthcare subsidies.
Senate Republicans have characterized the Democratic negotiating position as outright political extortion. Senate Majority Leader John Thune previously offered Democrats a Senate vote on Affordable Care Act premium tax credits in exchange for reopening the government — a proposal Democrats have rejected for weeks.
The shutdown is now nearing 40 days.
On Wednesday morning, Democratic leaders sent a letter to President Trump, attempting to frame themselves as open to compromise following recent election results in heavily Democratic regions.
“We write to demand a bipartisan meeting of legislative leaders to end the GOP shutdown and decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis,” the letter read. “Democrats stand ready to meet with you anytime, anyplace.”
Despite this posture, Senate Democrats have voted 14 times against GOP spending measures to reopen the government.
Meanwhile, Axios reports that discussions are underway on a potential three-part agreement to restore government funding. The framework would include:
• A Senate vote on Affordable Care Act tax credits
• A short-term continuing resolution to allow more time to finalize a full-year budget
• A separate vote to fund military construction, the legislative branch, and agriculture programs
“I think we’re getting close to an off-ramp here,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Axios.
However, negotiators remain divided over how long the temporary funding extension should last. The House previously passed a bill to keep the government funded through November 21 — prior to Senate Democrats forcing the shutdown. If a Senate agreement emerges, the House would have to reconvene and approve it, extending the funding deadline accordingly.