A handful of legislators have crossed the aisle on reopening and worker-pay bills, testing party unity in week four of the shutdown.
A small but growing group of Senate Democrats is splitting with party leaders on how to handle the ongoing government shutdown. The breaks have come on two tracks—votes to reopen the government and a separate push to pay some essential workers during the lapse.
On the 12 votes to advance a House-passed measure to reopen the government, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has sided with Republicans along with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who caucuses with Democrats.
On Oct. 23, Georgia’s two Democratic senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, crossed the aisle—along with Fetterman—to support a GOP bill to pay military personnel and other excepted federal workers during the shutdown.
The Republican-led legislation, titled the “Shutdown Fairness Act,” failed on a cloture vote of 54–45, coming short of the 60 votes needed to advance.
Ossoff said his vote was about paying people required to work during the shutdown.
“Military servicemembers, TSA workers, and air traffic controllers are among those who simply must come to work, and they should be paid for that work,” he said.
Warnock backed the bill while keeping up his criticism of GOP strategy.
“Essential workers shouldn’t be punished because Washington Republicans chose to shut down the government … It’s critical these hardworking public servants get the pay they are owed,” he said.
Fetterman wrote in a post on X, “I’m a Democrat. I voted YES. Our government should be open. Pay our military, federal workers, and Capitol police—it shouldn’t be controversial.”
I’m a Democrat.
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) October 23, 2025
I voted YES.
Our government should be open.
Pay our military, federal workers, and Capitol police—it shouldn’t be controversial. pic.twitter.com/TrZRbrWyD8
Democratic leaders opposed the targeted-pay bill introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), saying it would keep much of the government closed and exclude furloughed workers. In remarks on the Senate floor Thursday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called it “a ruse” that “would not reopen the government,” and urged Republicans to negotiate a broader deal that addresses health costs and reopens agencies.
Republican leaders said the crossover votes show pressure is building as missed paychecks mount. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said a short-term bill that would extend the current level of funding without policy add-ons remains the fastest way to end the standoff.
By Chase Smith
