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Senate Democrats have blocked a Republican-backed funding bill, all but guaranteeing a government shutdown.
On Tuesday (September 30) afternoon, the GOP measure, which would have funded the government through November 21, failed in a 55-45 Senate vote, falling five votes short of the 60 needed to advance, per The Hill. Only two Democrats, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), along with Independent Sen. Angus King (Maine), broke ranks and voted in favor of the bill.
Cortez Masto said she voted to avoid the damage a shutdown would bring to her constituents:
“This administration doesn’t care about Nevadans, but I do,” she said. “That’s why I cannot support a costly shutdown that would hurt Nevada families and hand even more power to this reckless administration.”
Government funding expires Tuesday at midnight, meaning unless a deal is struck immediately, a shutdown will begin on Wednesday (October 1) at 12:01 a.m., potentially lasting days or even weeks.
President Donald Trump, whose administration supports the House-passed bill, threatened "irreversible" actions if the government closes. Non-essential federal workers are set to be furloughed without pay. Essential employees, like air traffic controllers or law enforcement officers, must keep working, but also without pay until Congress reaches a deal. The White House Office of Management and Budget has reportedly told federal agencies to prepare for mass layoffs in the wake of the shutdown.
Following Tuesday's Senate vote, Democrats and Republicans remain at a standstill. Democrats are seeking to include $1 trillion for Medicaid in the funding bill, reversing Republican-led cuts. The party is also pushing to extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to make health insurance more affordable. Meanwhile, Republicans want a “clean” funding bill with no new policy changes.
Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.) framed the GOP’s proposal as the only viable option and said Democrats would be to blame for the shutdown.
“Democrats will be the ones that have to explain at midnight tonight why the government is shut down,” Thune said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blasted the GOP and Trump for refusing to negotiate seriously, especially after the president posted a racist AI-generated video mocking Democratic leaders.
“Hours away from a shutdown... the president is busy trolling away on the Internet like a 10-year-old,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “That’s exactly why Americans are going to blame him if the government shuts down.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has shown no indication he will bring lawmakers back to vote on a new plan before the deadline. Thune has filed a cloture motion to force another vote on the House bill on Wednesday, but it's unlikely to gain more Democratic support without policy changes.
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