Government Shutdown Drags On As Senate Democrats Block GOP Funding Bill For Third Time

The government remained shut down on Wednesday as Senate Democrats once again blocked a Republican-backed funding extension, rejecting the bill for the third time in less than 24 hours. The deadlock has now left federal operations frozen with no immediate end in sight.

Republicans had signaled confidence that more Democrats might eventually cross party lines, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and most of his caucus held firm, voting 53-45 to block the continuing resolution. The GOP measure would have funded the government for seven weeks, buying Congress time to finish the appropriations process before the end of November.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made clear after the failed vote that Republicans will not back down, announcing plans to continue bringing the same measure to the floor again and again to increase pressure on Senate Democrats. Although the Senate is expected to recess on Thursday for Yom Kippur, members will return on Friday to resume votes. In order to advance the bill, Thune will need 60 votes to overcome the Democratic filibuster.

There was some optimism on Tuesday when Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Angus King, I-Maine, and John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined Republicans in supporting the measure. But on Wednesday, that trio remained the only members of the Democratic caucus willing to defect.

“We are just one Senate roll call vote away from ending the shutdown,” Thune said. “We need a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to reopen the government. Once that happens, then we can address the issues Democrats are raising. But until then, we will not negotiate under the threat of Democrats holding the federal government hostage to partisan demands.”

All Republicans voted with leadership except for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who opposed the measure for the third straight time.

Schumer continued to blame Republicans, claiming on the Senate floor that his caucus was not prepared to budge. “Democrats want to avert this crisis, but Republicans tried to bully us, and it’s clear they can’t,” he said. “They don’t have the votes.”

The White House and congressional Republicans have repeatedly accused Democrats of holding out to secure new healthcare concessions, arguing that Schumer and his allies want to guarantee Obamacare tax credit extensions and expand negotiations around the continuing resolution.

Republicans say those demands are unrelated to keeping the government open, but Democrats insist that failing to extend healthcare subsidies will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans. “The closing of rural hospitals, the shuttering of clinics, skyrocketing premiums — these are the consequences of Republican obstruction,” Schumer claimed.

The Democratic counterproposal, also voted down on Wednesday, sought to permanently extend the Obamacare subsidies, repeal the healthcare title of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” and redirect funding away from outlets like NPR and PBS. The centerpiece of their plan remained the extension of healthcare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year. Democrats warned that insurance premiums could rise by as much as 114% if Congress fails to act.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, argued that Democrats’ demands are based on urgent realities rather than politics. “This is not some cooked-up demand,” he said. “The reason we are trying to take action now is because people’s premiums are going up this coming week.”

Republicans, however, rejected the argument and framed the Democrats’ position as reckless. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, blasted the blockade as “grossly irresponsible,” saying, “It reminds me of my 4-year-old granddaughter when she gets mad, when she kicks the sand and leaves the sandbox, and they can’t have their way. It’s ridiculous.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and his administration signaled they are prepared to take aggressive steps during the shutdown. Ahead of the Wednesday vote, Trump warned that his team could make “irreversible” moves such as mass firings and eliminating programs favored by Democrats.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought had already issued guidance directing agencies to implement significant reductions in force beyond typical furloughs, and the Congressional Budget Office projected that roughly 750,000 federal workers would be furloughed each day, at an estimated cost of $400 million daily in back pay.

Despite the growing pressure, both parties appear unwilling to back down. Democrats are betting that Republicans will ultimately be blamed for the shutdown, while the Trump administration and GOP leaders argue that the crisis is the direct result of Democratic obstruction.

For now, the government remains shuttered as Senate leaders prepare for yet another round of votes in the coming days.