Senate Deadlocks on Dueling Plans as U.S. Government Shutdown Begins

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The federal government will officially enter a shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday after both Senate Republicans and Democrats blocked competing short-term funding bills, failing to prevent the first lapse in federal funding since President Donald Trump’s first term. The standoff capped days of failed negotiations between the White House and congressional leaders, with neither side willing to concede on core demands.

Late Tuesday, the Senate rejected two continuing resolutions. The Republican bill, which would have extended funding through Nov. 21, failed 55–45 despite support from three Democrats—Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), and Angus King (Maine). The Democratic bill, which sought to keep the government open until Oct. 31 while restoring billions in health-care funding, fell 47–53 along party lines. Both measures had previously failed earlier this month.

The White House immediately ordered agencies to implement “orderly shutdown” plans, with budget director Russell Vought instructing employees to report to their next shift for furlough preparations. The Congressional Budget Office estimated roughly 750,000 federal employees would be sidelined. While essential services such as Social Security payments and mail delivery will continue, nonessential operations will be curtailed, and contractors face uncertainty over back pay.

At the heart of the impasse is health-care policy. Democrats are demanding a permanent extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies—first enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic—and a reversal of Medicaid cuts they say threaten hospitals and working-class families. Republicans insist those debates belong in the normal appropriations process, not in a stopgap measure, accusing Democrats of leveraging the deadline for political advantage. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) accused Democrats of “holding government funding hostage” while Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) countered that Trump was “using Americans as political pawns.”

President Trump has taken a combative stance, suggesting that the shutdown could be used to achieve “irreversible” program and workforce cuts. His comments sparked alarm among Democrats and some independents who fear mass firings beyond routine furloughs. Economists warn such a move could shake an already weakening labor market. Washington, D.C., home to many federal workers, is bracing for immediate impacts, while analysts note that even short shutdowns trim national economic growth and disrupt daily services.

The political fallout is already underway. Republicans are pressing their case that Democrats’ healthcare demands are unreasonable, while Democrats argue that millions of Americans will face steep premium increases if subsidies expire. Both sides are gambling that public opinion will swing their way as the shutdown’s effects ripple outward. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) canceled votes this week to keep pressure on Democrats, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) rallied his caucus to remain on duty, declaring: “We’re on duty. They’re on vacation. They’d rather shut the government down than protect the healthcare of the American people.”

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