FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Matt Dorsey
(202) 550-6987
October 7, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), representing 110,000 federal workers nationwide, is urging congressional leaders to return to Washington, D.C., to facilitate the negotiation of a bipartisan agreement to end the government shutdown, now in its seventh day.
“I cannot believe that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson decided to suspend business and send members of the U.S. House of Representatives home when we are in the midst of a government shutdown,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “Congressional leaders should come back to Washington to negotiate an end to this shutdown immediately. Federal employees, our men and women in uniform, and the American people are all suffering. Skipping town in the middle of a crisis is unconscionable.
“At this point, House Republicans have refused any meaningful negotiations. It appears to me that Speaker Johnson and his colleagues have no intention of ending this shutdown anytime soon. It seems they would rather sit back and play the blame game than undertake the necessary work to pass bipartisan spending legislation. Despite their assertions, their work is not done until a bill is passed and the government is reopened. Taking a 10-day break before that is accomplished is a dereliction of duty.
“Starting this Friday, federal employees across the country are going to start feeling the financial impact of this government shutdown. Federal employees are middle-class workers who cannot afford to have their pay suspended due to a government shutdown. These are dedicated civil servants, already earning 25% less than their private-sector counterparts, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck. Now they are forced to worry about how they will afford housing, food, medications, and other necessities. This is unnecessary, cruel, and devastating to both federal workers and the services on which the American people rely.
“To make matters worse, President Trump continues to pressure his opponents by threatening to fire hardworking federal employees illegally. These tactics are unconstitutional, un-American, and absolutely shameful. Congress must do its job and negotiate a bipartisan funding deal that allows federal agencies and the civil service to carry out their missions and provide the essential services this country depends on. This must happen soon, or federal workers and communities across America will continue to suffer.”