The Senate will vote just after noon on whether to take up a Republican bill that would pay federal workers who haven’t been furloughed during the government shutdown.
The procedural move needs 60 votes for approval, meaning it would require some Democratic support and currently is expected to fail.
Democrats have expressed concerns that the measure could give the Trump administration some leeway to decide who does or doesn’t get paid or a provide it with a justification for not paying furloughed workers after the shutdown ends.
Referring to Trump, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said of the bill, “If you criticize him, you’re not essential, you don’t get paid. If you kiss his ass, you’ll be essential and you get paid. Once you give him the power to decide not only who shows up to work, but also who gets paid, it is a massive additional power, massive additional leverage that he has, and an opportunity for endless corruption.”