Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Statement on Republicans’ Inadequate Proposal to Pay Federal Workers During Shutdown

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding their vote against Republicans' inadequate proposal to prevent federal workers, servicemembers, and contractors from financial harm during Trump's shutdown:

"Every federal worker, servicemember, and federal contractor should get paid as they do not deserve to endure the harm of this Republican shutdown they had no role in causing. Our True Shutdown Fairness Act ensures all federal workers, servicemembers, and contractors get their paychecks while shielding employees from the threat of this Administration's mass firings, but Republicans rejected it for a proposal that still leaves our federal workforce exposed to an Administration that wants to inflict 'trauma' on them. Their bill fails to prevent the president from further slashing the federal workforce during this shutdown - allowing Donald Trump free rein to pick winners and losers.

"The continuing Trump shutdown harms our constituents in the federal workforce and contracting community, and deprives the American public of the services they deserve. The most straightforward way to stop this pain is by reopening the government altogether - and we have voted seven times to do just that in a responsible way, while reining in Trump's lawlessness and preventing health care costs from skyrocketing for millions of Americans. This shutdown is now the longest in history, and still Trump refuses to negotiate. It's long past time for him to come to the table to make a deal to end his shameful shutdown."