Senate Democrats on Thursday voted down legislation that would have guaranteed paychecks for U.S. service members and essential federal workers as the government shutdown drags into its fourth week.
The bill, known as the Shutdown Fairness Act, was introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).
The legislation seeks to ensure that active-duty military personnel, as well as federal workers still reporting to duty, including TSA agents, air traffic controllers, and ICE officers, would continue receiving pay despite the funding lapse.
The measure fell short in a 54–45 vote, with nearly all Democrats opposing it.
Only three Democrats broke ranks to support the legislation.
Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) voted with Republicans on the bill.
“All federal employees are poised to miss a paycheck on Friday,” Johnson warned, as the shutdown became the longest in U.S. history to fully halt government operations.
Fetterman defended his decision to cross party lines, saying he was voting for principle over politics.
“I’m the guy that’s going to consistently vote for country over party,” Fetterman said in a video posted to X.
“I’m always going to vote for paying our military over the party.
“I’m always going to vote for paying the Capitol Police over my party.”
WATCH:
Shut our government down and America loses.
2 MILLION Pennsylvanians depend on SNAP to feed their families.
For me, it’s hungry Americans over party.
Paying our military over party.
Paying Capitol Police and federal workers over party.
I choose country over party. pic.twitter.com/JQbGkzYdw8
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) October 22, 2025
Despite Fetterman’s stance, other Democrats argued that Johnson’s bill would leave out furloughed federal workers, using that as justification to block it, even as they continue to reject GOP efforts to reopen the government outright.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) defended the move, claiming the bill would grant President Donald Trump too much authority to determine who gets paid.
“This is a bill to let Donald Trump decide who gets paid and who doesn’t,” Warren said in a statement.
“That’s not something we’re going to give to Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump thinks he is king and that he can decide how every nickel in the United States budget is spent.
“That is not what the Constitution says.”
Republicans blasted Democrats for what they called rank hypocrisy.
Democrats are refusing to pay essential workers while continuing to collect their own salaries during the shutdown.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) accused Democrats of “playing politics” while military families and federal employees are left without income.
“Senate Democrats have a choice,” Barrasso said on the floor.
“Pay essential workers who are working right now without a paycheck, or send them into the weekend with empty bank accounts and bills they cannot pay.
“If Democrats vote no, it won’t be about fairness.
“It will be about politics.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) also criticized Democrats for refusing to protect their own staff from going unpaid, even as lawmakers continue receiving paychecks.
“The 335 people who had to be here night before last to listen to that, they would finally get paid,” Thune said, referring to Capitol staff and police who worked through Sen. Jeff Merkley’s (D-OR) 22-hour floor speech earlier this week.
The 23-day government shutdown is now expected to extend into next week, when the Senate reconvenes Monday to vote on yet another bill to fund the government, the 13th attempt to end the standoff.
Johnson said Democrats’ obstruction reveals their political motives more than any policy concern.
“That’s pretty obstinate of them, isn’t it?” Johnson noted.
“Again, they’re such hypocrites.
“We offer them a clean continuing resolution at President Biden’s spending levels.
“They just won’t take ‘yes’ for an answer.”
The Senate has now voted 12 times against reopening the government.
The stalemate continues to punish federal workers and military families while exposing the widening partisan divide over basic fiscal responsibility.
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