Senate Democrats cast nearly unanimous votes on Tuesday to block a House-approved bill that would fund the government until November 21, pushing Washington toward a potential shutdown that might extend for several days or even weeks.
Democrats are anxious about how the potential shutdown will unfold in the coming days, following President Trump’s statement to reporters in the Oval Office that he would implement “irreversible” measures to undermine their key initiatives during a government shutdown.
However, they came out of a lengthy lunch meeting on Tuesday with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) determined to block the GOP-written funding bill, which they had previously turned down on September 19.
The House bill required 60 votes to pass and was five votes short. Government funding will expire at midnight, triggering a shutdown at that time.
Moderate Senators John Fetterman (Pa.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) were the sole Democratic lawmakers who supported the Republican-written bill, along with Senator Angus King (Maine), an independent who aligns with the Democratic party.
Cortez Masto stated that she supported the Republican funding bill because a government shutdown would negatively impact Nevadans who are already facing high expenses and an economic downturn.
“This administration shows no concern for Nevadans, but I do. That’s why I can’t back a pricey shutdown that would harm Nevada families and give this unpredictable administration even more authority,” she stated in a release.
Fetterman, the sole member of the trio who had previously supported the same legislation this month, cautioned that a government shutdown might enable Trump to further reduce federal initiatives.
“The president possesses numerous tools he can utilize,” Fetterman cautioned journalists on Capitol Hill.
He claimed a government shutdown would “be perfect for Project 2025,” which is the conservative plan aimed at transforming the government, and which sparked debate during the 2024 presidential race.
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, a Republican, initially opposed the temporary funding measure when it was brought to the floor earlier this month, but later supported it on Tuesday.
Although Murkowski mentioned she is willing to negotiate with Democrats regarding the extension of enhanced health insurance premium subsidies and safeguarding federally funded programs affected by a White House budget cut, she aims to prevent a government shutdown.
“We only have a few hours until the end of the fiscal year, so I don’t have any choices left,” Murkowski stated before a Republican lunch gathering.
“I have no interest in witnessing an ongoing shutdown,” she stated.
The vote regarding the Republican proposal came after a vote on a Democratic plan that would have provided funding for the government through October 31. This proposal would have permanently extended increased health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire in three months, and would have reinstated almost $1 trillion in Medicaid reductions.
The Democratic proposal failedby a vote of 47-53 with no backing from any Republican.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) highlighted the GOP House-approved bill as the sole legislation that stands a real possibility of being signed into law by Trump before the government’s funding runs out.
“I’m not sure what the House can do that they haven’t already accomplished,” he stated, rejecting the idea that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would convene House legislators in Washington this week to cast a vote on a different plan to finance the government.
He mentioned that the upcoming Republican proposal is “a bill that has been approved by the House, is currently in the Senate, and is prepared to be signed into law by the president.”
He stated that Democrats will “be the ones required to explain at midnight tonight why the government is closed.”
Thune pointed out that the funding bill which the Democrats rejected is similar to the usual short-term funding measure they approved 13 times to maintain government operations when Democrats were in control of the White House and Senate during President Biden’s tenure.
He has introduced a cloture motion to schedule an additional vote on Wednesday aimed at moving forward the House-approved continuing resolution, although it is expected to receive limited support from Democrats.
The result of Tuesday’s vote was mostly anticipated following a meeting between Trump and lawmakers at the White House on Monday.failed to achieve any meaningful advancement.
Trump nearly seemed to provoke Democrats into voting against the government funding bill by sharing on social media an AI-generated fake video featuring Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) delivering remarks at the White House.
The video showed Jeffries with a poorly animated sombrero and mustache, and included a fake voiceover from Schumer expressing frustration about the Democratic Party’s political challenges, accompanied by Mexican music in the background.
Schumer claimed that the satirical video shared by the president demonstrates he is not genuine in his efforts to negotiate with Democrats to maintain government funding.
“Hours away from a government shutdown, something the American people don’t want, the president is spending his time online like a 10-year-old. That’s precisely why Americans will hold him responsible if the government closes down,” he said angrily on the Senate floor.
Schumer stated at a press event on Tuesday that Trump and Republicans would face “significant” pressure to resume government operations by accepting the Democratic proposal to prolong more favorable health insurance subsidies, a policy carried over from the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s currently in the Republicans’ hands. We told Trump yesterday. He could easily reach out to Thune and Johnson and say, ‘Just include the two sections [Democrats] want added to the bill,'” Schumer stated. “The American public is beginning to understand how severe this healthcare crisis is and they will apply significant pressure on Republicans to address it.
Democrats aim to include provisions in the bill that would prolong the temporary health insurance premium subsidies and stop White House budget director Russ Vought from using pocket rescissions to target funds approved by Congress.
Thune, nevertheless, dismissed the idea of engaging in discussions with Democrats regarding healthcare during the government shutdown.
“The negotiation takes place when the government is receptive,” he said to reporters following a meeting with his group on Tuesday.
The head of the Republican party mentioned that he is willing to discuss extending the subsidies provided the Democrats support ongoing government financing, but he emphasized that this would be part of a larger reform of the ACA aimed at eliminating inefficiency, fraud, and misuse.
“We are willing to discuss the other issues they are concerned about, but this should not be connected to whether or not we keep the federal government operating for seven weeks,” he stated.
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