Federal workers brace for missed paycheck as shutdown enters 5th week

By Fox News · Fox News

Washington is barreling into its fifth week of a government shutdown , and despite a handful of payday deadlines for federal workers fast-approaching, there’s been little progress made toward turning the lights back on. The Senate is expected to again vote on a House-passed plan to reopen the government this week but has failed to advance the continuing resolution (CR) 12 times. As before, the legislation — which would reopen the government until Nov. 21 — is expected to fail again. The same dispute that triggered the shutdown nearly a month ago remains unresolved. DEMOCRATS EYE KEY OBAMACARE DEADLINE AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENTERS 4TH WEEK Senate Democrats , led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., want an ironclad deal to extend expiring Obamacare premium subsidies, while Senate Republicans want to address the issue only after the government is reopened. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., argued that Democrats’ position had little to do with the actual premium tax credits, nor a desire for negotiations. "It's politics," he said. "Well, they’d like you to believe that it's about healthcare ," he said on the Senate floor last week. "It's not. Republicans have been perfectly clear that we're willing to have a discussion about healthcare, just not while government funding is being held hostage and all the federal employees that come with that. So if this were really about healthcare, Democrats would be voting in favor of the clean CR as the quickest way to reopen the government." In the meantime, payday deadlines for air traffic controllers, military service members, and a funding cliff for federal nutrition assistance programs are right around the corner. Air traffic controllers are expected to miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday after being partially paid earlier this month. FISCAL DISASTER SCENARIO DURING SHUTDOWN SENDS GOP SCRAMBLING FOR NEW SPENDING PLAN Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Chair Ted Cruz , R-Texas, has a bill th…