Largest Federal Workers Union Calls for an End to the Shutdown, Putting Pressure on Democrats
As the federal government shutdown drags into its fourth week, the nation’s largest union representing government employees is breaking ranks with Democrats and demanding immediate action. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents more than 820,000 federal and D.C. workers, called on Congress to pass a short-term spending bill, even without resolving the ongoing dispute over health care subsidies.
“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a statement shared with NBC News. “It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship.”
Kelley said the union’s stance isn’t about taking sides but about “stopping the suffering of people who keep this country running.” Thousands of federal employees across agencies are now turning to food banks, facing eviction notices, and struggling to cover essentials as the shutdown nears a month.
“When the folks who serve this country are standing in line for food banks after missing a second paycheck, they aren’t looking for partisan spin,” Kelley said. “They’re looking for the wages they earned. The fact that they’re being cheated out of it is a national disgrace.”
The AFGE has filed lawsuits against the Trump administration — one challenging mass layoffs ordered by budget director Russell Vought, and another targeting the Education Department for sending out automated, partisan emails blaming Democrats for the shutdown.
The House-passed spending measure, which has now failed 12 times in the Senate, would fund the government through November 21. Only three senators who caucus with Democrats — John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Angus King (I-Maine) — have joined Republicans in supporting the bill. Five more votes are needed to reach the 60-vote threshold to break the deadlock.
Senate Democrats have refused to back the measure unless it includes a guarantee to extend Affordable Care Act health care subsidies set to expire at year’s end. Without them, millions could face skyrocketing premiums.
Trump, meanwhile, has refused to meet with Democrats until they vote to reopen the government. As the shutdown continues, workers across the country — many veterans, parents, and caregivers — remain without pay.
“These are patriotic Americans forced to work without pay because of political disagreements in Washington,” Kelley said. “That is unacceptable.”
