Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-sponsored bill Thursday to pay active-duty members of the military and other essential federal employees who have been required to work during the government shutdown.

Democrats blocked the Shutdown Fairness Act of 2025, sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), in a mostly party-line 54-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to advance.

Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) crossed party lines to vote in favor of the measure.

Fetterman was one of three senators who have been voting with Republicans to reopen the government. The two Georgia Democrats have been voting against that stopgap funding bill.

The legislation would pay service members as well as employees who are determined by agency heads to be “excepted” from the

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