WASHINGTON ‒ The federal government shutdown entered Day Nine on Thursday with still no end in sight after senators the previous day rejected Republican and Democratic plans to reopen the government.
The vote marked the sixth time that the dueling agreements failed in the Senate. Democrats pushed for health care reforms in their package, while the GOP-backed legislation would have temporarily kept government funding going until Nov. 21.
President Donald Trump doubled down on threats to block some furloughed federal workers from receiving back pay once this shutdown is over, claiming some "won't qualify." The Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday announced furloughs for 34,000 employees, nearly half of its staff, adding to the some 750,000 furloughed workers across the government.
Yet Trump insisted members of the military don't need to worry about missing their next paychecks as he signaled support for stand-alone legislation to ensure they are paid during the shutdown.
Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, who proposed legislation to pay members of the military despite the shutdown, urged fellow House GOP leadership Oct. 8 to swiftly pass her bill, even though the House is not in session while the Senate debates how to reopen the government.
