Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) has claimed that many federal workers are happy to go without pay during the ongoing government shutdown because they support Democrats’ stance against President Donald Trump’s policies.
The senator insists that federal workers want the Democrats to continue pushing their anti-Trump shutdown agenda even as hundreds of thousands face growing financial hardship.
Van Hollen, who represents a large number of federal employees in Maryland’s D.C. suburbs, told The Daily Caller that he believes government workers largely back Democrats’ refusal to end the shutdown if it means that Trump doesn’t get what he wants.
“I think they all would like to see the shutdown end, but they also don’t like giving Donald Trump a blank check,” Van Hollen said.
When challenged, however, Van Hollen acknowledged that federal workers have a “mix of views” on the matter.
He argued that Trump has been dismantling federal agencies since taking office.
“I mean, he’s been shutting down parts of this government since Day One,” Van Hollen said.
“I mean, he brought in Elon Musk, right?
“And they took a chainsaw to different federal agencies, so they’ve been shutting it down piecemeal since Day One.”
When asked if he has seen any signs that support among federal workers is waning as the shutdown drags on, Van Hollen replied,
“I haven’t seen their support eroding.”
Federal Workers’ Union Calls for End to Shutdown
Van Hollen’s remarks came just days after the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) called on Democrats to support a Republican-backed continuing resolution (CR) to end the funding lapse.
AFGE is the largest federal workers’ union, representing more than 800,000 employees.
Everett Kelley, AFGE’s president, said union members were “hurting” financially but urged Congress to take immediate action to restore pay and reopen the government.
Despite that plea, Democratic leaders have refused to pass a clean CR, insisting that Republicans agree to include partisan provisions tied to health care and social spending before reopening the government.
Growing Financial Strain on Federal Workers
More than 700,000 federal employees have been furloughed without pay as the shutdown enters its sixth week.
Others, including air traffic controllers and VA nurses, continue to report to work but have yet to receive paychecks.
Many workers have turned to second jobs, food banks, and credit unions for relief as the funding standoff continues.
Business groups, unions, and advocacy organizations across the political spectrum have called on lawmakers to reopen the government using the GOP’s clean CR approach, without attaching unrelated spending measures.
Van Hollen dismissed those calls, arguing Democrats are “standing up” for federal workers by holding the line.
“They’ve been blackmailing federal employees since Day One in this administration, including during the shutdown,” Van Hollen said.
“This is why we’re standing up for them.”
Democrats Blame Trump as Shutdown Impacts Expand
Van Hollen’s Democratic colleague, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), who also represents thousands of federal workers in the Washington, D.C., area, echoed his criticism of Trump.
Warner is also blaming the president for the strain on working families.
“I think it’s interesting that the day Americans — the one out of every eight Americans who need food assistance — were getting turned down, the president of the United States was having a Great Gatsby Party,” Warner said, referring to the expiration of a major federal food aid program amid the shutdown.
Despite growing public frustration and bipartisan calls for compromise, Senate Democrats remain opposed to reopening the government until Republicans agree to their terms, prolonging what has now become the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
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