Top union leader says stop playing politics as GOP shutdown drags on

The head of America’s largest federal workers’ union is blasting Congress, as the government shutdown enters its second month – the second longest in U.S. history, forcing hundreds of thousands of employees to miss another round of paychecks.

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 820,000 public workers, lashed out at lawmakers Monday, warning that political gridlock had gone too far.

“Both political parties have made their points, but there is still no clear end in sight,” he said. wrote in a statement. “Today I make mine: it is time for a continuing, clear resolution and to end this shutdown today. No half-measures and no games.”

A “clean” continuing resolution allows the government to operate at current funding levels, without independent political bias. Republicans insist their proposal fits this bill; Democrats say he is underfunding critical programs, using their influence in the Senate to secure an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. ready to expire at the end of the year.

But passing a stopgap measure isn’t easy, and the fault doesn’t lie solely with Democrats.

House Speaker Mike Johnson kept the room out of session, arguing that the House has already done its job by passing a short-term funding bill. In other words, there’s little room for negotiation when half of Congress isn’t even in town.

Although Kelley did not name names, his message speaks directly to the partisan struggle.

“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on solving the American people’s problems, rather than taking responsibility for a shutdown Americans don’t like,” he wrote.

Kelley also urged lawmakers to approve a resolution that would buy time to debate broader issues, from rising federal costs to a chronically disrupted budget process.

The issues are real and personal. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are either work without pay Or on leave. Air traffic controllers, TSA agents, Army nurses, food inspectors and Veterans Affairs personnel jostle to cover basic expenses, even if the White House continued to pay immigration officers. Many have it was necessary to count on savings, short-term loans and even food banks to survive the shutdown.

“These are patriotic Americans – parents, caregivers and veterans – forced to work without pay while struggling to pay rent, groceries, gas and medicine due to political disagreements in Washington,” Kelley wrote in his statement. “This is unacceptable.”

But the impacts of the shutdown are felt far beyond federal wages. The U.S. Department of Agriculture warns that more than 40 million Americans who count on food aid could lose benefits from November 1 if the closure continues.

The political impasse is established. Senate Democrats having blocked a continuing resolution backed by the GOP a dozen times, insisting that reopening the government must come with warranty that ACA subsidies will continue.

Meanwhile, AFGE is taking the battle to court. The union continues Trump administration over mass layoffs during shutdown and partisan emails sent from government employee messaging accounts without their consent.

Kelley said the goal is simple: reopen government and ensure reimbursement for each worker concerned, whether they have been forced to work without pay or made unemployed.

“None of these measures favor one political camp over another. They favor the American people, who expect stability from their government and accountability from their leaders,” he wrote.

Despite the urgency, the negotiations are making little progress. The shutdown will reach its first month this week, and President Donald Trump said that he will only meet Democrats After they vote to reopen the government.

The union’s plea is direct and urgent: it is an effort to put a human face on this impasse. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are not just entries on a payroll: they are families stretched to the breaking point. And if Congress doesn’t intervene, the consequences will only get worse.

It’s unclear whether the message will move the needle. But one thing is not: the Republicans have the votes end this shutdown whenever they want.