Heidi Alexander: “this is what we just heard. The Senator from Wisconsin asked unanimous consent that the Senate approve pay for 400,000…”

“this is what we just heard. The Senator from Wisconsin asked unanimous consent that the Senate approve pay for 400,000 workers who are being forced to work without pay. No Republican objects to the Senator from Wisconsin's idea, but the Democratic leader does. That means the Democratic leader is saying to 53,000 TSA employees who make about $40,000 a year that he objects on behalf of the Democratic side to paying them while they are forced to work. He is saying to 54,000 Customs and Border Protection agents that he objects to paying them while they are forced to work. Senator Johnson says that on the Republican side, we want to pay 42,000 Coast Guard employees who are forced to work and aren't getting paid. The Democratic leader says he objects to that and to 14,000 air traffic controllers, 16,000 Bureau of Prisons corrections officers, and 35,000 IRS employees. They are being forced to work. The Republicans are saying pay them; the Democratic leader objects. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.”