Democrats’ Shutdown Strategy Backfires After Massive Public Sector Union Turns on Them
The article discusses the ongoing government shutdown and highlights the pressure on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, suggesting he is unlikely to prolong the shutdown further. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal workers union representing 820,000 employees, has called for an immediate end to the shutdown by passing a clean continuing resolution that restores pay and work for all federal workers. AFGE President Everett Kelley emphasized that the shutdown is a political crisis harming families and communities, and urged Congress to act without delay or political gamesmanship.
The piece points out that many Democrats are hesitant to support reopening the government due to pressure from their political base, which heavily includes government employees like those represented by AFGE. Kelley’s strong statement provides a political “off-ramp” for Democrats to break the stalemate without alienating key supporters. As federal workers heavily favor the democratic Party, it is indeed unlikely Democrats can ignore AFGE’s demands. Ultimately, the article argues that AFGE’s call to end the shutdown could play a decisive role in pushing Democrats toward reopening the government soon.
Facing this kind of pressure, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer probably cannot prolong the government shutdown.
Indeed, from Schumer’s perspective, the shutdown-related harm inflicted on military service members, for instance, means nothing compared to a loss of support from the nation’s largest public-sector union.
In a statement issued Monday, American Federation of Government Employees President Everett Kelley demanded an end to the shutdown.
“This week, Congress pushed our nation into the fourth week of a full government shutdown — an avoidable crisis that is harming families, communities, and the very institutions that hold our country together,” Kelley wrote, thereby correctly noting that Congress, not President Donald Trump, holds the government’s purse strings. “Both political parties have made their point, and still there is no clear end in sight.”
The AFGE president then called upon Congress to do what Republican legislators have repeatedly done: vote for a clean continuing resolution.
“Today I’m making mine: it’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today,” Kelley added. “No half measures, and no gamesmanship. Put every single federal worker back on the job with full back pay — today.”
According to NBC News, AFGE represents 820,000 federal and D.C. government employees.
One could scarcely exaggerate the likely impact of Kelley’s statement on Democrats already wavering about prolonging the shutdown.
Indeed, some Democrats reportedly would vote to reopen the government if not for fear of their lunatic base.
Now, those Democrats have an off-ramp. After all, it would not be much of a stretch to say that AFGE is the Democratic Party base.
Aside from illegal immigrants and other criminals, Democrats care most about government employees.
Meanwhile, government employees reciprocate that affection, as evidenced by their voting patterns.
For instance, in the 2024 presidential election, voters in the affluent D.C. suburbs, home to thousands of federal workers, voted overwhelmingly for former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In other words, Democrats cannot afford to ignore the AFGE.
“[T]here is no ‘winning’ a government shutdown,” Kelley wrote.
That line alone should get Schumer’s attention, for the Senate minority leader has made it clear that he regards the shutdown as politically beneficial for Democrats. Once that perceived advantage disappears, they will fold.
In short, if Democrats do indeed vote to reopen the government this week, Kelley’s statement will have played a major role.
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