October 23, 2025 Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (both D-Del.), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led over 20 of their colleagues in introducing legislation to pay all federal employees – both those excepted and furloughed – as well as our servicemembers and federal contractors during the current Republican-led shutdown. The senators’ legislation, the True Shutdown Fairness Act, would also prevent the Trump administration’s attempts at mass firings (reductions in force or RIFs) while the government is shut down. “The Trump administration has used dedicated federal public servants as political pawns and now wants to pick and choose which federal workers get paid. Federal workers should not go without pay and

October 23, 2025 Washington, DC — U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chris Coons (both D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and 43 of their Democratic colleagues sent a letter to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins calling on the USDA to release the billions of dollars at its disposal to ensure Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue in November.    “We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” the senators wrote. “In fact, the USDA has several tools available which would enable

October 23, 2025 Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today released a statement following her vote on S.3012. “The legislation that Republicans put forth today would give the White House free reign to pay who they want to pay while leaving others behind. This administration has consistently used federal employees as political pawns, and I have no interest in giving them yet another lever to continue to do so. “Democrats proposed two alternatives that would pay all federal employees, not just those the Trump administration deems worthy. It was no surprise that it was shot down by Republicans. Over the last year, this administration has launched