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Floor Speech

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Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I am trying to understand what is going on here. Perhaps the Senator from Michigan can clarify.

So every public sector employees' union is supporting the Senator from Wisconsin's bill, but you are objecting because you think it grants too much power to the President. Now, if that is--I don't know how every public sector employees' union would be in support of this bill.

My understanding is that the modification proposed by the Senator from Michigan would essentially cover backpay but wouldn't do anything to address it going forward. In other words, we are going to keep Federal employees hostage. So they might get paid for backpay, but starting tomorrow, they are not going to get paid again, and that means that in the future, they will continue to be pawns, they will continue to be held hostage.

This is a straightforward approach that addresses that issue and everybody in this Chamber who isn't getting paid.

I can't believe people come down here and look these people in the eye when he is saying right here: We will pay them not only for today but for tomorrow and for the entire year, and we won't allow them to be held hostage and be pawns in a political game in the future.

My understanding is that the Senator from Michigan, on behalf of, I suppose, other Democrats, is objecting to that.

Please, please help me understand. This is a straightforward proposal which addresses the concern that millions of Americans have who are heading to food banks and can't pay their rent, and you are coming down here and saying you are going to object because you just want to pay them for yesterday, not for tomorrow or for the next day after that?

It is about leverage, isn't it? Isn't that what you all have been saying--it is about leverage? This isn't leverage; this is the lives of the American people.

The Senator from Wisconsin has put forward a straightforward proposal to pay people--Federal employees--today, tomorrow, and in the future. And what you are essentially saying: Well, I am fine with paying them for yesterday, but we are not going to pay them for tomorrow or the day after that or for the future, and we don't seem to care that there are men and women in uniform who are frequenting food banks, who are not making rent payments, or who are trying to borrow to get by, because it is leverage.

So I would hope--we are going to vote on this. So the Senator from Michigan can object to the unanimous consent request the Senator from Wisconsin made, but everybody in this Chamber is going to be put on the record as to whether or not they want to pay Federal employees not yesterday but today and tomorrow and into the future.

I am tired of political games. I really am. So feel free to object to something that--I don't know how anybody in their right mind could walk into this Chamber, look these people in the eye, and say: We are not going to pay you.

So we are going to vote on it. You can object to it right now, but everybody in this Chamber is going to vote on whether or not they want to pay Federal employees--something that every single public employees' union has said they support.

I yield to the Senator from Wisconsin.

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