As Republican Shutdown Continues, Durbin Speaks With American Federation Of Government Employees President
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke by phone with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President Everett Kelley to discuss the government shutdown as President Trump threatens to withhold back pay for furloughed federal workers. During the phone call, Durbin and Mr. Kelley spoke about the Trump Administration’s gutting of federal agencies and the impacts of the Trump shutdown on federal employees, who are forced to work without compensation.
“Since President Trump took office again in January, there has been a concerted effort to gut federal agencies and strip critical government programs that Illinoisans rely on. And now, as congressional Republicans continue the government shutdown, federal workers are caught in the middle by being asked to work without pay while the President threatens to cancel any back pay they are rightfully owed,” Durbin said. “I spoke with AFGE President Everett Kelley this morning to express my support for federal workers.”
AFGE is the nation’s largest federal employee union, representing more than 800,000 federal employees and D.C. government workers, including more than 43,000 government workers covering 65 locals in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
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