Statement of Administration Policy: S. 3012 - Shutdown Fairness Act

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(Senate)
(Sen. Johnson, R-WI, and 13 cosponsors)

The Administration supports S. 3012, the Shutdown Fairness Act.

President Trump and congressional Republicans are unified in opposing the Government shutdown caused by congressional Democrats. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have voted 12 times to keep the Government closed. In doing so, congressional Democrats voted to stop hundreds of thousands of excepted Federal employees from receiving their pay despite working throughout the shutdown. These Federal employees perform activities critical to the safety and well-being of the American public, and include the military, Federal law enforcement officers and firefighters, air traffic controllers, food inspectors, and many more critical roles.

Congressional Democrats even attacked President Trump for taking swift action to ensure America's active-duty military, including the Coast Guard, and Federal law enforcement agents did not miss a paycheck. Now, congressional Democrats have the opportunity to atone for the hardship they brought upon Federal employees with their reckless shutdown. S. 3012, the Shutdown Fairness Act, would ensure that Federal employees who must work during a lapse in appropriations are paid for their work.

However, the harm caused by the Democrat shutdown will not cease until congressional Democrats agree to do the responsible thing and vote to re-open the Government. That is why President Trump continues to unequivocally insist that Democrats vote in favor of H.R. 5371, the clean, short-term continuing resolution to fully re-open the Government and end this senseless shutdown.

If S. 3012 were presented to the President in its current form, his senior advisors would recommend that he sign it into law.