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yesterday

Largest Federal Employee Union Urges Clean CR With Backpay to End 27-Day Shutdown

AFGE’s move increases pressure on Senate Democrats who have tied reopening to an ACA subsidy extension.

Members of the American Federation of Government Employees union protest against firings during a rally to defend federal workers in Washington, DC on February 11.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, speaks during a news conference in Washington, DC, on July 17.

Overview

  • AFGE President Everett Kelley called on senators to pass a clean continuing resolution and guarantee backpay for furloughed and excepted workers.
  • The union, representing about 820,000 employees and traditionally aligned with Democrats, explicitly endorsed advancing the House-passed stopgap.
  • Government Executive reported that the House CR contains no backpay language, and House Republicans have not reconvened the chamber since late September.
  • Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked the House CR as they seek to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.
  • As the shutdown enters a fifth week, hundreds of thousands of federal workers have missed paychecks, and the IFPTE union also voiced support for a bipartisan clean CR.