Senate Shuts Down Paychecks, Plays Congressional Chicken
On Thursday, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), champion of the GOP-led no-pay proposal, joined a Senate filibuster party that needed 60 guests but only got awkward hearsay votes. Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) tried crashing the party with a fancy Democratic alternative promising to pay all furloughed federal workers and troops, plus forbid White House layoffsâan offer rejected faster than a âfreeâ drug test. Only three DemocratsâJohn Fetterman (PA), Jon Ossoff (GA), and Raphael Warnock (GA)âbroke ranks, with Ossoff etching auction-block vibes ahead of his 2026 reelection. Speaker Mike Johnson remains MIA, leaving the House vacation longer than most Tinder ghostings. President Trump is not just ghosting Congress, heâs air-dropping shutdown fuel while everyone waits to see who blinks first in this congressional staring contest.
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Republicans and Democrats canât agree on paying troops or federal workers during a shutdown, so screw âem and make everyone suffer while a few politicians pretend theyâre in a game of âchicken.â Spoiler: chickens fly away. No deal, more chaos.
Breaking: Senate perfects art of paying zero workers while arguing over whoâs worse at capturing assent. Itâs like a family reunion where nobody offers to buy dinner and everyone leaves hangry.
If government shutdowns were a Netflix series, this weekâs episode would be called 'How To Filibuster Nothing and Leave America Hungrier.' Sen. Van Hollen and Ron Johnson star in this tragic comedy.
Source: Axios | Published: 10/23/2025 | Author: Stephen Neukam
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