The Senate did not pass spending measures to reopen the government on Monday, marking the fifth failed vote on this issue. Both Democratic and Republican proposals did not achieve the 60-vote threshold needed for approval. Following the expiration of agency funding five days prior, many federal employees faced furloughs or were required to work without pay.
President Donald Trump indicated that another failed vote might lead to widespread layoffs, yet he expressed a willingness to negotiate with Democrats to resolve the deadlock. The Democrats are insisting that any funding legislation includes measures related to healthcare, while Republicans are advocating for a “clean” funding bill.
The Democratic-led proposal was defeated first with a vote of 45-50, followed by the Republican bill, which failed 52-42. After the votes, Trump attributed the government shutdown to Democratic actions and called for immediate reopening of the government. He stated on social media that while he is open to negotiating healthcare issues, the government must first be reopened.
Democrats are resistant to the Republican proposal, arguing it undermines healthcare access for lower-income individuals. Their conditions for supporting any funding bill include ensuring that health insurance subsidies do not lapse and reversing cuts to the Medicaid program initiated by the Trump administration. Republicans have countered that Democrats are using the shutdown to advance healthcare goals involving undocumented immigrants—a claim Democratic leaders deny. They assert that healthcare discussions should occur in separate legislation after government operations resume.
In an Oval Office address, Trump mentioned ongoing negotiations with Democratic leaders regarding healthcare. However, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer refuted Trump’s assertions by labeling the statements as false. The White House has indicated potential layoffs are imminent as the government remains shut down, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt urging Democrats to help resume operations without further negotiations.
In recent interviews, House leaders from both parties, Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Mike Johnson, blamed each other for the stalemate, with accusations of misrepresentation and bad faith in negotiations.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5q0zzdepeo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss