Democrats Prevent Government Re-Opening
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Senate on Monday voted for the 11th time against reopening the federal government, extending the shutdown into its fourth week as Democrats continue to block funding and blame President Trump.
The measure — a House-passed continuing resolution to fund government operations through late November — failed 50 to 43, falling short of the 60 votes required to pass.
Two Democrats, Angus King and Catherine Cortez Masto, broke with their party and sided with Republicans in favor of reopening the government. Sen. John Fetterman skipped the vote entirely, while Sen. Rand Paul cast the lone GOP “no” vote, citing his long-standing opposition to wasteful spending.
A Shutdown Fueled by Partisan Demands
The failure came just days after the left-wing “No Kings” rallies in Washington and across the nation — protests cheered on by progressive activists demanding new spending guarantees tied to ObamaCare subsidies.
With no deal in sight, the shutdown has now passed the three-week mark, with millions of federal workers and contractors left waiting for their paychecks. Economists warn that every week of inaction costs taxpayers billions.
Democrats Dig In — Schumer Blames Trump, GOP
In a fiery speech, Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) once again blamed President Trump and Republicans for the standoff.
“We enter another week of Donald Trump’s government shutdown,” Schumer said, claiming Republicans are “happy not to work” and “happy to let health care premiums rise.”
Republicans quickly pushed back, noting that Democrats have refused to vote for a clean bill unless it includes a permanent extension of temporary ObamaCare tax credits — a demand unrelated to basic government funding.
Republicans: ‘Democrats Created This Crisis’
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) blasted Democrats for what he called a “phony hostage situation” designed to pressure the GOP into fixing the very problems Democrats created.
“Democrats are solely responsible for this ObamaCare tax credit cliff,” Thune said. “They created the program, they set it to expire, and now they want Republicans to bail them out. It’s absurd and deeply dishonest.”
Thune added that the GOP remains ready to pass a clean funding bill and reopen the government — if Democrats drop their political ransom demands.
What Comes Next
The Senate is expected to vote again on Wednesday, but with both sides refusing to budge, the shutdown could stretch well into November. Meanwhile, everyday Americans — from border patrol agents to small business contractors — are the ones paying the price.
Many conservatives now see the standoff as proof that Democrats care more about power than the people they claim to represent, while President Trump continues to call for fiscal responsibility and national strength.
