Partnership for Public Service statement ahead of Shutdown Fairness Act vote

October 22, 2025

WASHINGTON – The nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service today released the following statement from President and CEO Max Stier ahead of the Senate’s vote on the Shutdown Fairness Act, which would provide pay to active duty service members and certain excepted federal employees:

“For the past 22 days, federal workers and their families have faced financial uncertainty and hardship because our elected officials have failed in their most basic responsibility of passing appropriations on time to keep our government running. Career federal employees, both military and civilian, should not bear the brunt of this dereliction of duty. The Shutdown Fairness Act partially remedies the financial harms for some federal employees but ought to apply to all public servants, who are victims rather than perpetrators of the shutdown.

“Our recent research finds that nearly half of Americans are already noticing the shutdown’s impact. Leaders in Congress have an obligation to come back into session and end this crisis by reopening the government before these harms multiply further for the public.”

To learn more about how the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle federal institutions, funding streams and infrastructure are disrupting critical public services and agency work, check out the Partnership’s Federal Harms Tracker.  Our new Cost to the Shutdown feature offers daily stories about the harm caused by the interruption of vital services provided by the government.  

For more information about how the government shutdown is impacting federal employees and the public, visit the Partnership’s government shutdown resource hub.  

During the past 24 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government works by providing agencies with the data insights they need to succeed, developing effective leaders, inspiring the next generation to public service, facilitating smooth presidential transitions and recognizing exceptional federal employees.

Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more.  

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