Democrats are refusing to pay support staff and Capitol Police during the government shutdown, but still forced them to work overnight Wednesday so a lawmaker could rail against the Trump administration from an empty Senate chamber.
Democratic Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley took to the Senate floor for a 14-hour-long and counting screed against President Donald Trump beginning early Tuesday evening. His overnight talk-a-thon, which was still ongoing at the time of publication, forced floor aides and Capitol Police to work throughout the night despite staffers missing their first full paycheck due to the funding lapse on Monday — and Capitol Police poised not to receive their salary later this week.
Merkley blasted Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard to Portland, Ore. over the objections of state and local officials during his marathon speech. He also denied that violence had occurred outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland despite at least 195 rioters being arrested outside the building since June.
“Portlanders have responded in a very interesting way,” Merkley said in the opening hour of his speech. “They are demonstrating with joy and whimsy.”
“They want to make it clear to the world that what Trump is saying about there being violent protests or a rebellion in Portland,” Merkley continued. “It’s just not true.”
Democratic New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim also joined Merkley on the Senate floor in the 10 p.m. hour, praising the Oregon senator for shining a light on the Trump administration’s alleged “authoritarianism.”
“It’s important that we don’t underestimate the fragility of our democracy,” Kim said.
Senate staffers missed their first full paychecks on Monday after Democrats consistently rejected a House-passed bipartisan spending bill to fund the government. A wide swath of federal employees will not receive their salary on Friday if Democrats do not supply the votes to end the shutdown.
Merkley and Kim have voted with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on eleven separate occasions to keep the government shuttered during the 22-day long funding lapse.
Just three Democratic Senate Caucus members have thus far crossed party lines to fund the government, leaving the spending measure short of the necessary 60-vote threshold to move most legislation in the Senate.
Republicans blasted Merkley’s overnight speech during the shutdown, arguing the move was unfair to floor aides and Capitol Police officers working unpaid because Democrats refuse to fund the government.
“The Democrats are going to make Capitol Police and Capitol support staff – who they refuse to pay – work all night so they can give speeches patting themselves on the back for shutting down the government and hurting the American people,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso wrote on X. “How ridiculous is that?”
Senators, whose pay is protected by the U.S. Constitution, received their salaries on Monday.
“[Senate Majority] Leader [John] Thune provided dinner last night for all of the unpaid Capitol Police officers and support staff who were stuck here,” a Thune spokesperson wrote on X.
The Senate is expected to vote on legislation this week sponsored by Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson to pay military personnel and federal employees who are reporting to work during the shutdown.
Democrats are expected to filibuster the bill. Several members of their caucus have argued that every federal worker should be paid during the shutdown despite repeatedly voting against reopening the government.
Merkley’s overnight remarks follow other Senate Democrats staging all-night speeches to protest the Trump administration this year. In April, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker delivered the longest Senate floor speech in history to attack the president and his policies.
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