Germany to cover salaries for US base workers amid shutdown
German Finance Ministry confirms the expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid to US base staff in the country.
Germany plans to pay some 11,000 local employees at US military bases in the country whose paycheques have been impacted by the government shutdown in Washington, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.
"The federal government will initiate an unscheduled expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid on time," a ministry spokeswoman said.
The trade union Verdi on Tuesday said that local staff have continued being paid during past US government shutdowns, but expressed fears that the current Trump administration appeared likely to halt paycheques.
The union contended that doing so would be a clear violation of German law and urged a solution to prevent any missed pay.
The finance ministry spokeswoman told AFP on Wednesday that it currently remains unclear whether US payments might still come through despite the shutdown.
But the federal government in Berlin and the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate struck the deal to guarantee salaries will be paid and avoid any issues, she said.
The German government anticipates being reimbursed for the payroll cost once the US side makes payment, according to the spokeswoman.
Berlin's contribution is "a sign of solidarity with the US armed forces stationed in Germany and their civilian employees", she added.
US government shutdown
The US Senate has blocked a stopgap funding measure for the 11th time, keeping the federal government shut for 21 days.
On Monday, senators voted 50–43 against invoking cloture on a House-passed bill that would fund the government until November 21, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance.
They say it omits critical health care subsidies, warning that millions of Americans could face unaffordable insurance premiums or lose coverage entirely if the subsidies are not restored.
Senator Rand Paul opposed the measure, while Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and independent Senator Angus King sided with Republicans in support.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised both Republicans and the White House, accusing them of refusing to negotiate.
He warned that millions of Americans are facing growing consequences, particularly in health care, as the shutdown drags on with no resolution in sight.