October 23, 2025
Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led over 20 of their colleagues in introducing legislation to pay all federal employees – both those excepted and furloughed – as well as our servicemembers and federal contractors during the current Republican-led shutdown.
The senators’ legislation, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, would also prevent the Trump administration’s attempts at mass firings (reductions in force or RIFs) while the government is shut down.
“The Trump administration has used dedicated federal public servants as political pawns and now wants to pick and choose which federal workers get paid. Federal workers should not go without pay and bear the burden of Republicans’ refusal to end this shutdown. This legislation would not only ensure that all federal workers – including the nearly 7,000 in Delaware – get paid, but it would also prevent the administration from continuing to carry out the mass firings that have gutted essential programs and services that Americans rely on. My Democratic colleagues and I stand united in sending a message to the President that federal workers cannot be collateral in his political games,” said Senator Blunt Rochester.
“As we work to reopen the government and fight to lower skyrocketing health care costs, federal workers and their families should not have to struggle without pay because of this Republican shutdown. This legislation will restore fairness to federal worker pay, prevent Russ Vought from firing more workers, and ensure families don’t suffer because Trump and his Republican allies want thousands of Delawareans to go to work each morning without collecting a check at night,” said Senator Coons.
“No federal worker or servicemember should be punished for this shutdown that was brought on through no fault of their own. Republicans are hell-bent on letting Trump pick winners and losers here, but every federal worker, servicemember, and federal contractor deserves to get paid. Our legislation would ensure just that, and if Republicans are serious about supporting our federal employees, they will support it. We must keep pressing to reopen the government with a responsible agreement that holds the President accountable to the law, protects federal workers and our servicemembers, and prevents massive spikes in Americans’ health care costs,” said Senator Van Hollen.
The True Shutdown Fairness Act would immediately restart pay for all excepted and furloughed federal workers, servicemembers, and federal contractors during the current shutdown. The senators’ legislation also includes a prohibition on reductions in force while the federal government is shut down. Federal employees are ensured retroactive pay after a shutdown ends due to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act – legislation Senator Coons and Senators Van Hollen, Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and former Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) worked to pass in 2019, and was then signed into law by President Trump.
The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Warner, Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Kaine, Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).
The senators’ legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), the Partnership for Public Service, and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
To read the full text of the legislation, click here.
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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the United States Senate where she serves on the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.