BREAKING: Dems refuse to pay soldiers, air traffic controllers until illegal immigrants are ensured healthcare subsidies

A bill that would have paid military members, air traffic controllers, and other federal employees required to work during the government shutdown did not pass a cloture vote on Thursday, with most Democrats voting against the bill. The cloture motion failed with a 55 to 45 vote. After several votes over the past few weeks, the Democrats have continued to support a continuing resolution (CR) that would continue funding the government at present levels and have proposed their own version that would, among other provisions, provide federal healthcare subsidies to illegal immigrants. 

The Thursday vote was for cloture, meaning that 60 votes were needed in order to cease debate on the bill over the next 30 hours. The legislative procedure allows for a simple majority of 51 in the Senate to pass a bill.  

The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and was set to provide payment to employees in the government that are required to keep working when the federal government shuts down, such as military members, air traffic controllers, or otherwise "excepted employees." Contractors who also provide labor to agencies and employees that are excepted for the shutdown are also included in the bill.  

The vote comes after the government has been shut down for 23 days. For the last several weeks, Republicans and Democrats have been at a stand-off between the GOP wanting to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government at the same levels for the time being.  

The Democrats, however, have tried to propose a different CR bill that would include provisions that would also provide healthcare subsidies to illegal immigrants as well as other measures. President Donald Trump made previous efforts to make sure that military members were paid earlier this month, however Democrats ahead of the vote decried the bill to pay the troops and other excepted employees required to work under the shutdown as a "political ploy."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, although not in the Senate, said earlier this week that he would not support the legislation and said, "It appears to be more like a political ploy to pick and choose — giving Donald Trump discretion — which employees should be compensated and which employees should not be compensated. All employees should be compensated, and that will happen when we reopen the government." 

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S. 3012 Johnson Shutdown Fairness Act