The Senate on Wednesday once more rejected dueling Republican and Democratic funding proposals to finish the government shutdown, which stretched into its eighth day with no trace of progress towards a decision.
In a 54-45 vote, the Senate didn’t advance a GOP-led stopgap invoice that will have funded the federal government via late November. Another funding invoice backed by Democrats additionally failed in a 47-52 vote round 12:50 p.m. ET.
The identical three senators from the Democratic caucus who’ve voted with Republicans on earlier votes — John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Nevada’s Catherine Cortez Masto, in addition to Angus King of Maine, one in every of two independents within the caucus — did so once more on Wednesday.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., once more voted with Democrats to oppose the GOP measure. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, didn’t vote.
The competing stopgaps had already didn’t cross in 5 earlier votes.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., leaves the Senate Democrats’ lunch assembly within the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025.
Invoice Clark | CQ-Roll Name, Inc. | Getty Pictures
Each events’ leaders blame one another for the shutdown, which started on Oct. 1.
Republicans, who maintain slim majorities in each chambers of Congress, desire a short-term measure that may resume funding the U.S. authorities at present ranges via Nov. 21.
The Home GOP invoice additionally contains funding for added safety for lawmakers following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Democrats’ various contains greater than $1 trillion in further health-care funding, together with an extension of enhanced Inexpensive Care Act subsidies which can be set to run out on the finish of this yr.
“Republicans are shutting down the federal government as a result of they refuse to repair and handle the disaster in American well being care,” Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., stated earlier than the votes started.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has floated a potential off-ramp to the shutdown that would come with GOP commitments on a deal related to enhanced Obamacare tax credits, Punchbowl News reported.
However her proposal — which suggests a dialog about ACA extensions after the federal government reopens — didn’t sway any Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday.
Republicans presently want about eight votes from senators within the Democratic caucus to cross their short-term funding measure to beat the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster guidelines.
President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans have largely refused to barter with Democrats, whom they accuse of holding the federal government hostage.
The Democrats’ funding proposal “would not cross right here, would not cross the Home, would not get signed into regulation by the president,” Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., stated on the chamber ground after Schumer.
The White Home has additionally warned that federal employees shall be fired, and floated the potential of denying again pay to furloughed staff, if the shutdown drags on for much longer.
However Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated on Wednesday that he agrees that federal regulation requires furloughed employees to be paid upon their return to work.
— CNBC’s Lillian Rizzo contributed to this report.
