Efforts to swiftly end the U.S. government shutdown faltered Wednesday as senators rejected a plan to resolve a bitter funding standoff between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats.
With federal funds exhausted after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement, many government departments and agencies have been shuttered since midnight.
Senate Democrats, insisting on extended health care subsidies for low-income families, refused to back a House-passed bill that would have reopened the government for several weeks while negotiations continued.
As a result, roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be placed on furlough, temporarily without pay. Essential personnel, including military members and border agents, may be forced to work without compensation and could miss upcoming paychecks.
Government shutdowns, though periodic in gridlocked Washington, are unpopular because they disrupt services widely used by the public—from national parks to permit applications. This shutdown, however, comes amid Trump’s push to enact hard-right policies, including proposed cuts to entire government departments.
“The White House is threatening to turn many of the furloughs into mass firings,” analysts note. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said, “A lot of good can come down from shutdowns… We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want. They’d be Democrat things.”
Democrats, motivated by grassroots anger over expiring health care subsidies and the dismantling of government agencies, have been withholding Senate votes to fund the government as leverage for negotiations.
Republicans in the House have already passed a short-term funding measure to keep federal operations running through late November while a long-term solution is discussed. But the Senate requires 60 votes to advance the bill, and Democrats have refused to cooperate without compromises on spending cuts, especially in health care.
“It’s the job of senators on both sides of the aisle to come together,” said Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer. “We hope now that the Republicans have seen they don’t have the votes.”
Negotiations have grown increasingly bitter, with Trump mocking Democratic leaders on social media. Senate Republican leaders hoped to secure support from eight Democrats to approve the House measure; so far, only three moderates have crossed the aisle.
Historically, attempts to leverage government funding for policy changes have rarely succeeded, and both parties face growing pressure as the shutdown drags on.
Congress will be out Thursday for the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday but the Senate returns Friday, potentially working through the weekend, while the House is not scheduled to reconvene until next week.
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