While Republicans in the Senate refuse to even hold a vote to end the government shutdown, Democrats are working to end the shutdown and minimize its impacts on American families. Republicans should follow suit and end the Trump Shutdown now.

Democrats are united in calling for an end to the Trump Shutdown:

Bloomberg: “The House on a 237-187 vote passed the latest in a series of bills to end the partial government shutdown with little Republican support. The measure would provide $12.1 billion in disaster aid and reopen the nine shuttered federal departments and dozens of agencies through Feb. 8. But it doesn’t include the money Trump seeks for a border wall, and the administration opposes the measure. Only six Republicans voted with majority Democrats for the bill.”

In the Senate, Democrat Tina Smith is leading a team of senators to provide back pay for the hundreds of thousands of federal contractors out of work because of the shutdown:

Vox: “On Wednesday, Smith introduced legislation along with fellow Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown (OH), Chris Van Hollen (MD), Ben Cardin (MD), Mark Warner (VA), and Tim Kaine (VA), to require federal agencies to work directly with companies that contract to them to provide back pay for the employees caught up in the shutdown. Because of the way the system currently works, contractors are paid directly by companies that can’t bill the government for services when it’s shut down. Since these companies aren’t getting paid, they, in turn, aren’t able to pay their workers.”

A bicameral group of Democrats is proposing legislation to protect government workers from the threat of eviction, foreclosure, or falling behind on debt repayments during the shutdown:

Bustle: “As a result of the government shutdown, which is rapidly approaching its third week, around 800,000 federal workers aren’t receiving paychecks. In an attempt to protect those workers from financial hardship, congressional Democrats have introduced the Federal Employee Civil Relief Act, which would prohibit landlords and debt collectors from taking action against federal employees unable to pay their bills because of the shutdown.”

Governors across the nation are also using their office to minimize the impacts of the shutdown in their states:

Minnesota Star-Tribune: “Minnesota will ensure vulnerable residents continue to get services amid the federal shutdown, Gov. Tim Walz said Tuesday, but the state faces potential reimbursement fights, staff layoffs and negative economic impacts if the stalemate drags on.”

NPR: “The governor explained that California will offer the workers unemployment coverage, despite the federal government telling the state it can’t do so for workers still on the job. Newsom says he believes California is on strong legal footing.”

Politico: “In a statement released Friday morning, Democratic Govs. Jay Inslee (Wash.), Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.), and Andrew Cuomo (N.Y.) called on DOL to provide ‘clear, unambiguous guidance’ on whether states may grant unemployment benefits to these non-furloughed unpaid federal workers.:

Westfair Online: “Gov. Ned Lamont and the Democratic and Republican leaders in each of the General Assembly’s four caucuses have reached an agreement to adopt emergency certified legislation that will enable nonessential and essential federal workers who are working without pay to receive unemployment assistance under a public-private partnership.”