The United States Capitol on the evening of Tuesday, September 30, 2025, just hours before the federal government shutdown. (Photo: Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate found themselves at an impasse on Wednesday after government offices closed and hundreds of thousands of federal workers faced furloughs on the first day of a government shutdown that showed no sign of ending.
Proposals from both parties on funding and reopening the government again failed in this morning’s Senate votes, reflecting the same vote splits as Tuesday night, when lawmakers no agreement could be reached a few hours before the government ran out of money.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office forecasted it up to 750 thousand federal workers could be furloughed, which could have an economic impact of $400 million a day.
Stuck in their positions, Republicans failed to win over enough Democrats to obtain the 60 votes needed to advance the government funding plan by November 21.
Senators will take a break on Thursday to observe Yom Kippur, but will return on Friday to vote again on funding proposals.
Sense. Democrats Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, along with independent Angus King of Maine, rejoined Republicans in 55-45 vote for the House-passed ephemeral spending bill. GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted “no.”
Democrats also failed to find support to advance the government funding bill by Oct. 31, roll back GOP cuts to Medicaid and permanently expand subsidies that tie the cost of health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act to an enrollee’s income level.
Democrats failed to implement their plan along party lines 47-53 vote. King, who talks to Democrats, voted in favor.
Closure tied to health care tax credits
Senate and House Democrats say they won’t support the GOP path to reopening the government unless Republicans agree to negotiate on rising health care costs.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference that Democrats are “ready to sit down with anyone, anytime, anywhere to reopen the government, pass a spending deal that meets the needs of the American people, and address the devastating Republican health care crisis that has done extraordinary harm to people across the country.”
The New York Democrat pointed to the harm in “rural America, working-class America, urban America, small-town America, the heartland of America, and in black and brown communities across America.”
Democratic leaders stormed the Capitol with their message on health care press conferences and attending evening rally Tuesday on the lawn in front of the American house.
They pointed to up-to-date data released this week that shows annual insurance premiums could double on average in 2026 if subsidies expire at the end of the year, according to analysis from the health policy research nonprofit KFF.
Open enrollment for next year’s ACA health insurance plans begins November 1 in most states and October 15 in Idaho.
The utilization rate of ACA health insurance plans is over doubled to over 24 million, compared to 11 million since the introduction of the subsidy in 2021 – reports KFF.
As part of their own 2022 budget reconciliation deal, Democrats extended tax breaks on insurance premiums through the end of 2025. Most people enrolled in the ACA currently benefit from the breaks.
Democrats also want assurances that White House and Senate Republicans will not rescind Congress-approved measures, as happened this year when the administration and GOP lawmakers defunded, among other things, for medical research, foreign aid and public broadcasting.
“This could all end today.”
Republican Party leaders in the House and Senate continued to blame Senate Democrats for shutting down the government at the expense of furloughed federal workers and Americans who rely on their services.
At a Wednesday morning news conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that “soldiers and Border Patrol agents will have to go to work, but they will work without pay.”
Johnson also stated at the press conference that benefits for veterans would end. The claim is false, as is Veterans Administration health care To continue uninterrupted, and veterinarians will continue to receive benefits including compensation, pension, education and housing.
“As we talk here this morning, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are receiving furlough notices. Nearly half of our civilian workforce is being sent home — these are hard-working Americans who work for our federal government,” the Louisiana Republican said, surrounded by other GOP leaders on the Upper West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol, overlooking the National Mall.
In delayed September, Johnson decided the House would be absent until October 6, canceling that week’s votes.
The speaker said he would bring House members back next week even if the government remains closed.
“They would be here this week except that we did our job — we passed the bill in the House almost two weeks ago and sent it to the Senate,” Johnson said. “The ball is literally in (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer’s court, so he’s calling the shots.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “this can all end today” and “must end today.”
The South Dakota Republican said the funding lapse could end when Senate Democrats vote for a “clean” GOP short-term funding bill.
“We will continue to work with our counterparts in our House of Representatives and the president of the United States to reopen this government on behalf of the American people,” Thune said.
Bipartisanship and Trump
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said later in the day that a bipartisan group gathered on the floor during the votes to discuss a possible path forward on “health care fixes” and to ensure that if a bipartisan deal is negotiated, the Trump administration will stick to it.
He said Republican senators can assure Democrats they will not vote for any White House repeal requests, which ask Congress to cancel already approved government spending. But other issues, such as laying off hundreds or thousands of federal workers, must be a promise from the president.
“If I find an agreement, should Congress follow it? Yes. Should the president follow it? Yes. What if the president doesn’t follow it? Oh, yes, you have a problem,” Kaine said. “So, you know, rescission, confiscation, those are the words of the Senate. But a deal is a deal – people understand that.”
Kaine also stressed that it is not a “clean” stopgap funding bill if the Trump administration unilaterally cancels some spending.
“We voted for a clean (continuation resolution) in the past, but the president has shown he will take the money back,” Kaine said, referring to the technical name of the short-term funding bill. “I mean, in Virginia, where they canceled $400 million for our public health, $40 million worth of economic projects just disappeared, laying off more Virginians than any president.
“So we want you to agree that if we make a deal, you will honor it,” Kaine said. “I’m not asking for that much.”
“People are suffering”
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he didn’t expect the suspension to have long-term consequences on senators’ ability to negotiate bipartisan agreements, a necessity in an upper chamber that has a 60-vote threshold to advance legislation.
“Everything is transactional,” Tillis said. “I think there will be opportunities for two-way work, but nothing like that is happening, you can’t even think about it when you’re in lockdown.”
Cortez Masto who voted for promotion The Republican Seven-Week Temporary Treatment Act said the Republican Party “created this crisis” in health care and “it must be addressed.”
“They have no moral standing – no moral standing – to say it’s up to the Democrats. They are in control. They are the ones who created this crisis,” Cortez Masto said. “People are hurting and they need to come to the table.”
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who was sworn in for the first time during the latest shutdown, said he worries about the long-term effects.
“I’m concerned that this will poison the well in the negotiations on many issues,” Hawley said. “I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I would just say that these tactics are very destructive. And they are destructive not only to relationships, but to real people.”
Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.
