Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks to a reporter in the basement of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON – The Senate failed to advance a Republican measure on Thursday, rejecting unanimous agreements on two related Democratic bills that would have paid federal employees and contractors who continued to work during the government shutdown that began its 23rd day.
The standoff was the latest example of how both parties have become mired in their arguments as the shutdown that began on October 1 drags on and political tensions rise in the upper house over reaching a deal to restore government funding.
Most federal employees will miss their first full paycheck on Friday or early next week. More than 42 million Americans, about 40% under the age of 17, are also affected There is a risk of delayed food aid if Congress does not address a funding shortfall in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) expected by November 1st.
Democrats in the Senate on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins regarding the agency’s concerns warned states to withhold payment of SNAP benefits. They claimed the agency had the resources necessary to keep payments flowing.
“We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has directed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November, and we were surprised by your recent comments that the program ‘will run out of money in two weeks,'” the letter said. “In fact, USDA has several tools that would allow SNAP benefits to be paid out by or near the end of November.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., presented a bill On Wednesday, SNAP funding is scheduled to continue during the shutdown. During Thursday’s briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration would “fully support” the legislation.
Standstill in pay for federal employees
In the Senate is a measure from GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin to a 54-45 votes failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance to the chamber. Its failure means that federal employees who continued to work will not receive pay until the shutdown ends.
Democratic senators who approved the measure included John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota changed his vote to reconsider the measure.
“I don’t think it makes sense to hold these federal employees hostage,” Warnock told States Newsroom in an interview following his vote Thursday. “If I could find a way to provide some relief to some of these people while I fight for health care, then that’s what I chose.”
A separate measure by Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen also failed after Johnson objected. Van Hollen asked for unanimous approval to pass his bill, which would also have protected federal employees from mass reductions in benefits (RIFs) that President Donald Trump attempted during the shutdown.
A second Democratic bill from Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., was narrower and included only federal employee pay. But when he sought unanimous approval for his measure, it was also blocked by Johnson.
The senators then left Capitol Hill for the weekend. The Senate decided on Wednesday a failed 12th vote to provide lump sum funding to the federal government and its services by November 21st.
Senate Republicans have urged Senate Democrats to agree to the stopgap measure written by the Republican Party. But Democrats have insisted they will not support the House measure because it does not extend tax credits that expire at the end of the year for people who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace.
Layoffs cited by Van Hollen
Van Hollen argued his bill would protect workers from the president’s targeting of certain federal agencies and programs.
“We should in no way set up a system in which the president of the United States can decide which agencies he can close, what he can open, who he will pay and who he will pay, who he will punish and who he will not,” Van Hollen said on the Senate floor before asking for unanimous consent to pass the bill.
Johnson opposed including Van Hollen’s provision prohibiting layoffs of federal workers during a shutdown. President Donald Trump’s efforts to lay off thousands of federal workers during the shutdown have been on hold since last week following a ruling by a federal judge issue an interim injunction The was later expanded.
However, Johnson said he would be willing to incorporate Van Hollen’s provision to pay furloughed workers into his own bill.
“I’m very happy to be able to sit down with you. Maybe we should do that later today,” Van Hollen told Johnson during their floor debate.
Shortly thereafter, Peters introduced a nearly mirror-image version of Van Hollen’s bill, except that his measure would not prohibit layoffs – essentially what Johnson would agree with Van Hollen.
“We all say we agree on this, so let’s just pass this bill now,” the Michigan Democrat said before asking for unanimous approval to move the bill forward.
Johnson also rejected this proposal.
“It only solves a problem temporarily. We’ll be right back in the same situation,” Johnson said in an interview with States Newsroom about why he rejected Peter’s proposal.
Johnson said he spoke with Peters and Van Hollen after the vote and “we’ll talk beyond that.”
“Waste of time” for House to meet
Even if the Senate were to pass the bill introduced by Johnson or Van Hollen, it would be unlikely that the House, which has been in recess since last month, would vote again on either measure.
At a news conference Thursday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that Republicans had already passed a stopgap measure to pay federal workers and that Senate Democrats should support that bill.
Johnson said reinstatement of the House would be a “waste of time” and pointed out that Democrats would not vote on the Republican proposal.
“If I brought everyone back right now and we voted on a measure to pay essential workers, it would skyrocket in the Senate,” the Louisiana Republican said. “So it would be a waste of time.”
Duffy warns of flight delays due to the shutdown
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy accompanied Johnson and House Republicans at their press conference.
He said flight delays had increased due to staff shortages.
More than 50,000 TSA agents and more than 13,000 air traffic controllers have continued to work without pay during the government shutdown.
“They’re angry,” Duffy said of the air traffic controllers. “I’ve been to different towers over the course of the last week to 10 days. They were frustrated.”
Next Tuesday, air traffic controllers will not receive their full paycheck for their work in October, Duffy said.
He added that the agency is already suffering from a staff shortage – up to 3,000 air traffic controllers.
“If we have fewer staff, there will be delays or cancellations,” Duffy said.
The FlightAware tracker said 2,132 delays of indeterminate length were reported within, into or out of the United States as of Thursday afternoon, compared with 4,175 on Wednesday, 3,846 on Tuesday and 6,792 on Monday.
The shortage of air traffic controllers helped end the 2019 government shutdown that lasted 35 days after thousands of commercial flights were grounded.
