The head of the country's largest union of federal workers called for an end to the government shutdown Monday, ramping up pressure on Democrats to end the impasse.
The labor union urged Senate Democrats to go along with Republicans' long-standing demand that they accept a short-term funding package similar to one that the GOP-controlled House passed in September. Democrats have refused to pass the funding package and instead insisted that Republicans first renew expiring subsidies for Obamacare
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"Reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues," wrote Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal
The federal government shutdown, the second longest in U.S. history, is nearing the one-month mark as funding for food aid dwindles and air traffic control crunches accumulate. Most federal workers missed their first full paycheck last Friday.
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"Ensure back pay for every single employee who has served or been forced to stay home through no fault of their own. Work together on a bipartisan basis to address important policy matters like addressing rising costs and fixing the broken appropriations process," Kelley said in comments
A senior Senate Republican aide said the union statement could be a pivot point in the standoff and expressed hope Senate Democrats would pass GOP short-term funding package.
