Democrats Still Refuse to Back GOP Bill to End Government Shutdown
Senate Democrats on Tuesday rejected a House-passed GOP stopgap funding bill for the 13th time, as the effects of the ongoing government shutdown are expected to worsen by the end of the week.
Lawmakers voted 54–45 on the short-term funding measure, which would have kept federal operations running through November 21. Three senators — Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, along with Independent Angus King of Maine — broke ranks with their party and voted in favor of advancing the legislation.
The vote came amid growing pressure on Democrats to act, following a statement Monday from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) urging Congress to pass a clean stopgap bill immediately and end the shutdown.
Despite the mounting pressure, Democratic leaders have maintained that they will not vote to reopen the government until Republicans agree to negotiate on a bipartisan deal that includes an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire soon.
“We are in a health care crisis, and Republicans don’t even want to talk about how to fix it,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “The president isn’t even in town as Americans are about to be devastated by the bills they’ll receive on health care.”
Schumer was referring to the upcoming November 1 start of open enrollment for Obamacare plans. Without action from Congress, millions could face higher insurance premiums as subsidies lapse.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat, acknowledged Monday that AFGE’s statement had caught his attention, though he said he was not changing his position. “It is in my mind,” Durbin said. “The SNAP program feeds one out of eight Americans.”
The reality for lawmakers is growing increasingly dire. By Friday, military personnel are expected to miss paychecks, and by Saturday, the government will stop issuing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which millions of low-income families depend on.
There are also fears that airport staff shortages could lead to travel disruptions and potential safety concerns if key federal employees stop reporting for work.
Republicans, meanwhile, are considering whether to hold votes on individual bills that would ease the impact of the shutdown — including measures to pay military service members and federal workers. Those discussions took place during a closed-door lunch with Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday.
A growing number of Democrats have expressed willingness to support Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) proposal to fully fund the SNAP program for the duration of the shutdown. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) downplayed the idea, telling reporters, “There’s not a high level of interest in doing carveouts or ‘rifle shots.’ Most people realize the only way to get out of this mess is to vote to reopen the government.”
Republican leadership is not expected to bring Hawley’s bill to a vote this week, according to two sources familiar with internal scheduling discussions.
With the shutdown expected to extend beyond one month, Republicans appear intent on keeping pressure on Democrats by allowing the consequences to mount. Some GOP senators, however, are urging continued talks.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) called on her colleagues Monday to stop treating the crisis as routine and to stay in session until a deal is reached. Senate Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said he was open to remaining through the weekend if it would bring progress but admitted past weekend sessions had done little to move Democrats.
“We’ve been here on weekends, and it doesn’t seem to have made a difference,” Barrasso said.
