House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Monday he opposes a Senate Republican bill to extend pay to troops and some federal workers during the government shutdown.
Why it matters: Jeffries' opposition suggests the legislation would have a tough time passing the House if it makes it out of the Senate.
- At issue for Democrats is that the bill pays only workers who have not been furloughed as part of the government shutdown.
- Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Monday that he would bring the bill up for a vote in the House if it passes the Senate.
Driving the news: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) placed the Shutdown Fairness Act on the Senate calendar last week, teeing it up for a vote as soon as this week.
- The bill would allow government funding to go to providing backpay and ongoing wages to military servicemembers and essential federal workers.
- Thune has signaled he wants to put the bill up for a vote in part to squeeze Senate Democrats after they voted down a different military pay bill last week.
What they're saying: "It's my understanding that that is not a comprehensive bill that actually is designed to reopen the government while at the same time addressing the issues that need to be confronted," Jeffries said at a press conference.
- "It's not legislation that I support," he continued, "because it appears to be more like a political ploy to pick and choose, giving Donald Trump discretion which employees should be compensated."
- "All employees should be compensated. And that will happen when we reopen the government," he said.
Between the lines: Trump has been paying the military by diverting funding that had been appropriated for Pentagon research and development, something Democrats say is illegal but have not fought strongly.
- But the administration has also infuriated Democrats by using the shutdown as an opportunity to go further than simple furloughs, issuing mass layoffs aimed at downsizing the federal government.
- Democrats have in turn accused the administration of overstepping their constitutional limits and seizing powers rightfully afforded to Congress.
