Senate fails to advance pay bill for essential federal workers

The Senate on Thursday failed to advance legislation that would have immediately paid federal workers designated as essential and active duty troops during the ongoing government shutdown, voting 54 to 45 on a motion that fell short of the 60 votes needed to proceed. The vote came on the 23rd day of the shutdown and saw three Democrats, Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia, join Republicans in supporting the measure.

The bill, introduced by Senator Ron Johnson, would have expedited paychecks for excepted employees required to work without compensation during the lapse in appropriations, a group defined by the Office of Personnel Management that includes air traffic controllers, law enforcement and certain Postal Service and Social Security staff. Johnson argued the measure merely accelerated payments that federal law guarantees after a shutdown ends, saying on the Senate floor that many federal employees are working without pay and calling the situation "absurd."

Most Democrats opposed the proposal, arguing it would create a two-tier system that paid only those the administration deemed essential while leaving furloughed workers...