The head of the United States’ largest federal workers union is blasting Congress as the government shutdown drags into its second month—the second-longest in U.S. history—forcing hundreds of thousands of employees to miss another round of paychecks.
Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees—which represents more than 820,000 government workers—took aim at lawmakers on Monday, warning that the political standoff has gone too far.
“Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight,” he wrote in a statement. “Today I’m making mine: it’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship.”
A “clean” continuing resolution keeps the government running at current funding levels without unrelated political riders. Republicans insist that their proposal fits that bill; Democrats say it underfunds critical programs, using their leverage in the Senate to secure an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
But passing a stopgap measure isn’t simple, and the blame doesn’t rest solely with Democrats.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has kept the chamber out of session, arguing that the House has already done its job by passing a short-term funding bill. In other words, there’s little room for negotiation when half of Congress isn’t even in town.
While Kelley didn’t name names, his message lands squarely in the partisan fight.
“It’s time for our leaders to start focusing on how to solve problems for the American people, rather than on who is going to get the blame for a shutdown that Americans dislike,” he wrote.
Kelley also urged lawmakers to approve a resolution that buys time to debate larger issues, from ballooning federal costs to a chronically broken budgeting process.
The stakes are real—and personal. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are either working without pay or furloughed. Air traffic controllers, TSA agents, Army nurses, food inspectors, and Veterans Affairs staff are scrambling to cover basic expenses, even as the White House has continued to pay immigration agents. Many have had to rely on savings, short-term loans, and even food banks to survive the shutdown.
“These are patriotic Americans—parents, caregivers, and veterans—forced to work without pay while struggling to cover rent, groceries, gas, and medicine because of political disagreements in Washington,” Kelley wrote in his statement. “That is unacceptable.”
But the impacts of the shutdown are felt far beyond federal paychecks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture warns that more than 40 million Americans who rely on food assistance could lose benefits as soon as Nov. 1 if the shutdown continues.
The political deadlock is entrenched. Senate Democrats have blocked a GOP-backed continuing resolution a dozen times, insisting that the reopening of the government must come with the guarantee that ACA subsidies will continue.
Meanwhile, AFGE is taking the fight to court. The union is suing the Trump administration over mass layoffs during the shutdown and for partisan emails sent from employees’ government email accounts without their consent.
Kelley said that the goal is simple: Reopen the government and ensure back pay for every worker affected, whether they’ve been forced to work without pay or furloughed.
“None of these steps favor one political side over another. They favor the American people—who expect stability from their government and responsibility from their leaders,” he wrote.
Despite the urgency, negotiations show little progress. The shutdown will hit its one-month mark this week, and President Donald Trump has said that he will only meet with Democrats after they vote to reopen the government.
The union’s plea is direct and urgent—an effort to put a human face on the stalemate. Hundreds of thousands of Americans aren’t just entries on a payroll—they’re families stretched to the breaking point. And if Congress doesn’t step in, the consequences will only get worse.
Whether the message will move the needle is unclear. But one thing isn’t: Republicans have the votes to end this shutdown whenever they choose.
Alex Samuels October 27, 2025 at 11:00PM From Daily Kos
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