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Labor Leaders Concerned Over Potential Government Shutdown

Frustration is mounting among labor leaders as indications arise that a government shutdown is imminent. This comes after a bipartisan agreement to extend funding for federal agencies until March was recently derailed by President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Just a day after House Speaker Mike Johnson proposed a continuing resolution aimed at sustaining current funding levels through March 14, which included $100 billion for disaster relief and $10 billion in support for farmers, Musk publicly criticized the measure. He claimed it contained misinformation and suggested that the government should remain closed until after Trump’s inauguration.

In a joint statement released later that day, Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance backed Musk’s stance, insisting that any agreement to keep the government operational should also raise the debt ceiling. In response, House Republicans have suggested an alternative plan, though its viability in Congress remains uncertain.

Federal employee unions expressed deep concern over Trump’s involvement in budgetary discussions that had seemingly found traction. This scenario echoes a previous crisis that led to a 35-day partial government shutdown commencing just before Christmas in 2018. Everett Kelley, the National President of the American Federation of Government Employees, warned that another shutdown during the holiday season would benefit adversaries abroad while severely impacting federal workers.

Kelley remarked, “A government shutdown would deliver a devastating blow to hardworking federal employees and the millions of citizens who rely on essential government services. These patriotic civil servants are the backbone of our nation—they inspect our food, protect our borders, ensure safe travel during the holidays, and provide relief to disaster victims. Over 642,000 of them are veterans of our armed services. Allowing them to go without a paycheck over the holidays is unacceptable.”

Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, commented that repeated threats of shutdowns have become a routine aspect of federal employment, especially in shipyards where many of his workers are employed. He noted, “It’s just such a common occurrence now—it’s not only an annual occurrence, it’s multiple times a year—these threats of a government shutdown. Particularly at the shipyards where a lot of our members work, they’re always preparing for a shutdown it seems like. And that costs taxpayers even more money, because agencies spend their time devoted to preparing for a shutdown rather than the job that we’re supposed to be doing.”

Doreen Greenwald, national president of the National Treasury Employees Union, shared her concerns regarding the uncertainty surrounding funding. She said the possibility of funding lapsing imminently has “rattled” her members, recalling the uncertainty faced during the longest government shutdown in history that began in December 2018. “Shutdowns waste taxpayer money, harm the economy and jeopardize the paychecks and essential services that hardworking Americans and their families depend on every day,” she added.

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