President Trump may as well be Jefferson Davis to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
The Civil War and slavery were on the Maryland Democrat’s mind this week as he spoke to federal union workers outside the AFL-CIO’s headquarters in the nation’s capital. At issue was the idea that government employees who work during the shutdown are somewhat like slaves.
“Yes, we lament the pain that is being inflicted on the 800,000 people who work for the federal government. And the 440,000 people that are being asked to work with no pay,” Mr. Hoyer said Thursday. “You know, back in the 1860s, they talked about working with no pay.”
Shouts from the crowd of “Yeah! Yeah! Oh, yeah!” rang out after the comment.
President Trump has assured federal employees that they will receive back pay once the government shutdown ends.
“They’re all going to get the money and I think they’re going to be happy,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday from the White House.
The president is demanding a spending bill from Congress with $5.7 billion allocated for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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