US Government Shutdown Looms as Senate Rejects Funding Bill
The United States federal government faces a potential shutdown as the Senate rejected a short-term funding bill on Friday. The House passed a short-term federal funding bill backed by President Donald Trump, designed to keep the government funded at current levels through Nov. 21. However, the Senate, needing Democratic support to overcome the filibuster, blocked the bill, resulting in a standoff between the parties.
Background and Context
The bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), was designed to give House and Senate appropriators more time to strike a deal on fiscal 2026 federal spending. Fiscal 2025 is slated to end on Sept. 30, and Congress risks a partial shutdown if the CR does not reach Trump's desk for a signature by then. The Republican-controlled House passed the bill on a near party line vote, with only Maine Democrat Jared Golden breaking with his party to vote in favor.
Key Developments
After the House Republicans pushed through the measure, Democrats in the Senate blocked it, demanding more than $1 trillion for health programs. The Democrats' counteroffer, filled with their priorities, was torpedoed by the Republicans. The GOP's CR was voted on right after, but its fate was uncertain as Democrats had vowed to oppose it throughout the week.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., accused Senate Democrats of posturing for a government shutdown to score a political win with their base, suggesting that they were resisting the Trump administration's policies. The House Republicans' campaign arm launched a pressure campaign against vulnerable Democrats as the deadline for the government shutdown looms.
Implications and Reactions
Senate Republicans' bid to pass a short-term government funding extension was foiled by Senate Democrats as the deadline to fund the government fast approaches. This comes as lawmakers gear up to leave Washington, D.C., for a week to observe the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, returning with just two working days left before the deadline to fund the government on Sept. 30.
The Republican-controlled House passed the spending bill on a near party line vote. The Senate will consider the measure later in the day, but its chances of passage are slim, since it will need at least some Democratic support to clear the 60-vote threshold to overcome the filibuster.
Current Status
The prospect of a shutdown increased after Senate Republicans and Democrats each blocked rival plans to provide temporary funding. The threat of a US government shutdown surged on Friday, as the US Senate rejected a short-term funding bill to keep federal agencies operating after September 30 and then left town for a week-long break.
President Trump admitted the possibility of a US government shutdown from October 1, explaining that in order to continue funding the government, the relevant bill, previously approved by the US House of Representatives, must also be supported by the Senate. The lawmakers voted 44-48 to defeat a stopgap spending bill that would have kept federal agencies operating at current funding levels through November 21. The measure faced near-universal opposition from Democrats, who demanded increased healthcare funding.