Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.), the lead Senate Republican negotiator on a bill to pay key federal workers during the shutdown, says he has offered Democrats a proposal to pay all federal workers — essential and furloughed federal employees — while federal departments and agencies are shuttered.

Johnson told The Hill that he believes Senate GOP leadership supports his offer, but he says the proposal will be discussed in more detail at the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon Tuesday.

“Are they going to take ‘yes’ for an answer?” Johnson said of whether his Democratic colleagues would accept the latest offer.

“We’re willing to add furloughed workers,” he said, calling it a “big” concession.

“Pay them up front. They’re going to get paid anyway,” Johnson said, noting that under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, furloughed federal workers are guaranteed back pay for the time they miss on the job during a shutdown.

“We need to put that vote on the floor,” he said. “Get it all approved by the White House and our leadership.”

He said Republican senators would discuss it in more detail Tuesday afternoon.

“Hopefully that will be the conference position and we’ll start voting on this stuff,” he added.

Johnson........

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