Senate Democrats have blocked a Republican bill aimed at funding the government, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown after midnight Wednesday. This would be the first shutdown in nearly seven years.
The Senate voted 55-45 against the legislation, which sought to extend federal funding for seven weeks. This fell short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and pass the bill. Democrats are following through on their pledge to shut down the government if President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to address their healthcare concerns.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of trying to "bully" Democrats by refusing to negotiate an extension of expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year.
"We hope they sit down with us and talk," Schumer stated after the vote. "Otherwise, the Republicans will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt."
The failure of Congress to maintain government funding could result in hundreds of thousands of federal workers being furloughed or laid off. Following the vote, the White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo instructing "affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown."
Trump threatened retribution against Democrats, suggesting that a shutdown could involve "cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like."
Trump and his Republican allies maintain that they will not consider any changes to the legislation, arguing that it is a simplified, "clean" bill that should be uncontroversial. Senate Majority Leader John Thune suggested that the bill could be revisited "tomorrow" if enough Democrats were to change their stance.
The most recent government shutdown occurred during Trump's first term, lasting from December 2018 to January 2019. It stemmed from his demand for congressional funding for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump eventually relented after 35 days – the longest shutdown in history – amid growing airport delays and missed paychecks for federal employees.
While partisan disagreements over government spending are common in Washington, this particular impasse arises as Democrats see an opportunity to leverage their position to achieve policy objectives, and as their base is eager to challenge Trump. Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, needed at least eight Democratic votes after Republican Senator Rand Paul opposed the bill.
Democratic Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, along with Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, sided with Republicans in an effort to keep the government open. This gave Republicans hope that additional Democrats might eventually support them and help end the shutdown.
Following the vote, King cautioned against "permanent damage" as Trump and his administration have threatened widespread layoffs.
"Instead of fighting Trump we're actually empowering him, which is what finally drove my decision," King explained.
Thune predicted that Democratic support for the GOP bill would increase "when they realize that this is playing a losing hand."
The White House informed agencies last week that they should consider "a reduction in force" for many federal programs if the government shuts down. This implies that non-essential workers could be terminated rather than simply furloughed.
Regardless, most workers would not receive pay. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that approximately 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed each day once a shutdown begins.
Federal agencies have already begun preparations. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's homepage featured a pop-up ad stating, "The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people."
Democrats are seeking to negotiate an extension of health subsidies immediately, as individuals are beginning to receive notices of premium increases for the upcoming year. Millions of people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could face higher costs due to the expiration of expanded subsidies that were initially implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democrats have also demanded that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts enacted as part of Trump's "big, beautiful bill" this summer and that the White House pledge not to rescind spending approved by Congress.
"We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans," stated House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Thune urged Democrats to vote for the funding bill and address the debate on tax credits at a later time. While some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits, many strongly oppose it.
During a rare exchange with Schumer on the Senate floor, Thune stated that Republicans "are happy to fix the ACA issue" and have offered to negotiate with Democrats – provided they vote to keep the government open until November 21.
Democrats find themselves in an unusual and challenging position, as they have historically criticized shutdowns as unproductive and harmful. The duration and resolution of the shutdown remain uncertain. However, party activists and lawmakers argue that Democrats must take a stand against Trump.
"The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends," said Senator Peter Welch. "We've seen that with universities, with law firms, with prosecutors. So is there a point where you just have to stand up to him? I think there is."
Some groups called for Schumer's resignation in March after he and nine other Democrats voted to end a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to proceed to a final vote.
Schumer explained that he voted to keep the government open at that time because a shutdown would have exacerbated the situation as Trump's administration was cutting government jobs. He argues that circumstances have since changed, including the passage of the GOP tax cut bill that reduced Medicaid.
A bipartisan meeting at the White House marked Trump's first engagement with all four congressional leaders since beginning his second term. Schumer described the discussions about healthcare as "candid" and "frank."
However, Trump did not appear to be prepared for serious negotiations. Hours later, he posted a manipulated video of Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, taken from footage of their press conference outside the White House after the meeting. The altered video featured a voiceover mimicking Schumer, making fun of Democrats, while Jeffries stood beside him with a cartoon sombrero and mustache, accompanied by Mexican music.
At a news conference, Jeffries denounced the video as "racist and fake."
Schumer criticized Trump for engaging in online trolling "like a 10-year-old" on the eve of a potential government shutdown.
"It's only the president who can do this," Schumer stated. "We know he runs the show here."
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