Shutdown Fairness Act
Latest action (Nov 7, 2025) — Upon reconsideration, on the to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 43. Record Vote Number: 609.
What it does
Congressional Research Service, Oct 15, 2025This bill provides appropriations to pay federal employees who work during a government shutdown.
Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments to excepted employees for work performed during any period in which interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations are not in effect for a fiscal year (i.e., a government shutdown). An excepted employee is an employee who is required to work during a government shutdown.
Under current law, excepted employees are not paid until the government shutdown is over. This bill provides appropriations to pay excepted employees during a government shutdown. The bill also specifies that the term excepted employee includes certain contractors who support federal employees during a government shutdown and members of the Armed Forces who are on active duty.
A federal agency may not use the funds provided by this bill during any period in which continuing appropriations are in effect for the purpose of paying excepted employees of the agency.
The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.
Face Value
as placed on the calendarHow much of this bill its name accounts for.
- Every bill starts at100
- Nothing counted against it: one area of law, and short enough that length doesn't register.
Face Value measures reach, not honesty. A big bill can be accurately named, and a low score is not an accusation — it means the contents reach further than any short title could describe. Count it yourself ↗ How this is worked out
What Congress did
2 recordedOn on the decisive vote
Senate · Nov 7, 2025
Whether to end debate on whether to start debating it. Needs 60 senators; failing here kills the bill without a vote on the bill.
On on the
Senate · Oct 23, 2025
Whether to end debate on whether to start debating it. Needs 60 senators; failing here kills the bill without a vote on the bill.
Who lobbied on this
4 organizationsThese organizations told Congress, in their own quarterly disclosures, that they were lobbying on this bill.
- Air Line Pilots Associationno position stated
“…Shutdown Fairness Act…” filing ↗
- Delta Airlinesno position stated
“FY2026 Government Funding, Generally S.3012 - Shutdown Fairness Act HR 6086 - Aviation Funding Solvency Act” filing ↗
- International Association of Fire Fightersno position stated
“…Free Speech Act H.R. 2766/S. 2014, Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act H.R. 5619, Federal Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act H.R. 7137/S. 3012, Shutdown Fairness Act Issues related to executive orders impacting federal labor unions Issues related to staffing levels for federal fire…” filing ↗
- National Business Aviation Associationno position stated
“…of 2025 HR 7613 ALERT Act S 697 Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025 S 1045 Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025 S 2503 ROTOR Act S 3012 Shutdown Fairness Act S 3257 Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 S 3258 Aviation Medication Transparency Act Other Issues: FAA/ATC…” filing ↗
Most filings say only that an organization lobbied on a bill, not which side it took — where that's the case we say so rather than guessing. Quotes are verbatim from the filing. How this is built.
Discussion
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