Senator Reverend Warnock voted “Yes” for the Shutdown Fairness Act. The legislation would have paid federal workers during the shutdown, including TSA Agents, federal law enforcement, and the military

The legislation failed by a 54-45 vote 

Senator Warnock: “Washington Republicans have created a false choice between reopening the government and preventing premiums from doubling on average for 1.2 million Georgians. It’s not complicated, Congress can and must reopen the government, get paychecks out to all federal workers, and fund health care”

Washington, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) voted “Yes” on the Shutdown Fairness Act, legislation that would have provided permanent funding to federal agencies to pay the salaries and benefits of employees and contractors who are required to work during a government shutdown. Senator Warnock has also voted seven times on legislation to reopen the government and extend premium tax credits that would keep premiums from doubling on average for 1.2 million Georgians. 

Select coverage of Senator Warnock’s vote to support federal workers can be found below:

CNN: Sen. Warnock says he supported GOP bill to pay some federal ​workers because they shouldn’t be “punished”

• Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock explained today that his vote in favor of Republicans’ bill to continue paychecks for some federal employees working through the shutdown was because he didn’t want to see workers punished.
  
  
• “I think that the Republicans are tragically holding the American people who need health care hostage. They’re holding federal workers hostage, and just because they’ve decided to shut down the government doesn’t mean that these workers ought to be punished,” the Georgia Democrat said. “And so some of these folks that they’re holding hostage had a path to get some relief, I’m happy to offer that to them. Meanwhile, I’m fighting for health care.”
  
  
• Warnock was one of three Democrats who voted in favor of GOP Senator Ron Johnson’s bill, which would not cover furloughed employees. The other two were Sens. Jon Ossoff and John Fetterman. Johnson’s bill failed to advance Thursday.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Crossing the aisle 

• U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock joined Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. John Fetterman as the only Democrats to vote with Republicans on a bill that would have paid federal employees still working during the shutdown. The bill failed because it did not have enough votes to overcome a filibuster.

• “Essential workers shouldn’t be punished because Washington Republicans chose to shut down the government,” Warnock said.

The Hill: Ossoff, Warnock break with Democrats on bill to pay essential workers during shutdown

• Ossoff’s and Warnock’s votes are notable because they have voted 12 times against a House-passed bill to reopen the government and fund it through Nov. 21. They have, however, voted repeatedly for a Democratic alternative to fund the government through Oct. 31, permanently extend enhanced health insurance premiums and restore nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts.

• Warnock said Republicans are “tragically holding the American people who need health care hostage” and “holding federal workers hostage.” He argued that federal workers who are required to work without pay throughout the shutdown should not be “punished.”

• “Just because they decided to shut down the government doesn’t mean these workers ought to be punished,” he said, referring to Republicans.

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