Federal employee unions dismayed—but not surprised—by sudden shutdown threat

Labor leaders on Thursday expressed frustration that agencies appear to again be on the verge of a government shutdown, after President-elect Trump and Elon Musk this week scuttled a bipartisan deal to extend agency funding until March.

Less than 24 hours after House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a continuing resolution to maintain agencies’ current funding levels through March 14, provide $100 billion in disaster relief, offer $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers and a myriad of additional policy provisions, Musk, Trump’s chief campaign donor and co-chairman of a planned government efficiency advisory commission excoriated the bill, spread misinformation about its contents, and suggested that the government should remain shuttered until after Trump’s inauguration.

Later on Wednesday, Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance issued a joint statement endorsing Musk’s position and demanding an increase to the debt ceiling be included in any deal to keep the government open. House Republicans have since concocted a new deal, though it is unclear whether it has enough support to advance in Congress. 

Federal employee unions expressed their dismay at Trump again weighing in on spending negotiations after the parties had reached agreement, reminiscent of the conditions that led to a 35-day partial government shutdown that began just before Christmas 2018. American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley called the prospect of another holiday-season shutdown as a “gift to America’s adversaries” abroad and unfair to the federal workforce.

“A government shutdown would deliver a devastating blow to hardworking federal employees and the millions of citizens who rely on essential government services,” he said in a statement. “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, told Government Executive that while many of his members are frustrated by the state of spending talks, preparing for shutdowns has now become routine.

“Here’s the thing: 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,” he said. “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.”

And Doreen Greenwald, national president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said the news that funding might expire this weekend has “rattled” her membership.

“With mere hours left to reach a new agreement, the chaos is all too familiar to frontline federal employees who were either sent home or ordered to work without pay starting Dec. 22, 2018, for what would become the longest and most disruptive government shutdown in history,” she said. “Shutdowns waste taxpayer money, harm the economy and jeopardize the paychecks and essential services that hardworking Americans and their families depend on every day.”