Democrats introduce bill to help federal workers cover childcare costs during shutdown

Congressional Democrats are introducing a bill that would provide childcare relief to federal workers affected by the shutdown of the federal government, as it drags on through a second week.

Parents would be reimbursed for fees paid to childcare facilities during the shutdown under plans initiated by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

Any federal employee who has been furloughed, or remains working through the shutdown without pay, would be entitled to support under the Federal Worker Childcare Protection Act of 2025.

The bill authorizes the General Services Administration to receive official documentation for childcare expenses from federal workers to apply for reimbursement.

“When you talk to federal workers right now, a lot of them are exhausted. They’re proud of what they do, but they’re tired of being treated like their lives are expendable,” Omar said in a statement on the bill.

“This administration has made it clear it’s not interested in standing up for workers – but I am,” she added. “As a working parent, I know the importance of having reliable childcare. This bill is a small but necessary way to show that their work and their families matter.”

About 100 childcare centers previously operated in GSA-managed federal spaces, providing childcare for thousands of children daily, but the so-called “department of government efficiency” eliminated the GSA office that managed these facilities earlier this year.

Co-sponsors of the bill include the congressional Democratic representatives Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, Gregory Meeks, Jerry Nadler, and Rashida Tlaib.

A report from the Economic Policy Institute in March noted that childcare is more expensive than rent in 17 states and Washington DC”, with the average cost of childcare for an infant in Washington DC at $2,363 per month, the highest average cost in the US.

It comes as Donald Trump’s administration attempts to pin blame on Democrats for the shutdown, repeating false claims about funding healthcare for undocumented people. “Democrats should simply stop putting illegal aliens before the American people and reopen the government,” said Abigail Jackson, spokesperson for the White House in an email.

But Democrats insist this is unfair. “The House hasn’t held a vote now for eighteen days,” Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democrat leader, wrote on social media on Tuesday. Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, “is CAUSING—and NOT INTERESTED IN ENDING—the shutdown”, Schumer claimed.

Omar’s bill is the latest proposed by Democrats to support federal workers affected by the government shutdown. Another bill, introduced last week, would provide backpay for workers at federal contractors affected by the shutdown.

Democrats have also criticized the Trump administration after reports they are threatening to withhold pay for furloughed federal employees despite existing legislation and previous guidance from the Trump administration.

Omar introduced a similar bill in 2019 in response to the most recent government shutdown. It was her first bill introduction as a member of Congress.

Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the US, wrote a letter to the US president on Tuesday demanding an end to the government shutdown. “Your administration seems to be adding even more pain onto working people by choice over the course of this shutdown,” she wrote, citing actions such as threatening firings, cancelling infrastructure grants, and threats to withhold backpay from furloughed workers.

“Our livelihoods should not be used as pawns or bargaining chips, whether it is threatening one set of workers after another, canceling construction projects, or jacking up electricity prices on top of higher health insurance premiums,” Shuler added. “We implore you to meet with the leaders of the House and Senate to find a solution that funds the government, fixes the healthcare crisis, and puts working people first.”