The government is barreling toward a shutdown after the House and Senate deadlocked Friday on competing stopgap spending measures, leaving federal agencies set to run out of money on October 1.
Earlier in the day, the House narrowly approved a Republican-drafted continuing resolution (CR) on a 217–212 vote. The bill would have extended government funding for seven weeks, through November 21, while keeping most programs at current levels. It also included $88 million in added security for lawmakers, the Supreme Court, and the executive branch following the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Only one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), supported the measure.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) cast the bill as the only viable option:
“The ball is in Chuck Schumer’s court. I hope he does the right thing. I hope he does not choose to shut the government down and inflict pain on the American people.”
But the Senate swiftly rejected the House-passed CR. On a 44–48 vote, the measure fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Democrats were nearly unanimous in opposition, with only Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) breaking ranks to support it. Two Republicans, Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), also voted no. As reporter Burgess Everett noted, several Republican senators were absent, further eroding GOP support:
“Ouch, House’s CR doesn’t even get a majority in the Senate, 44-48 (several GOP absences).”
Before taking up the House bill, the Senate also rejected a Democratic alternative, which would have kept the government open until October 31 while permanently extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and reversing nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts enacted earlier this year. That proposal also fell short of the 60-vote threshold.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) accused Democrats of loading down their bill with partisan priorities:
“The Republican bill is a clean, nonpartisan, short-term continuing resolution to fund the government to give us time to do the full appropriations process. And the Democrat bill is the exact opposite … a dirty CR — laden down with partisan policies and appeals to Democrats’ leftist base.”
Democrats countered that Republicans are refusing to negotiate on health care and other key issues despite knowing they lack the votes to pass a GOP-only measure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared:
“When we were in the majority for four years, there was not a shutdown. Not one. Why? Because we did what you’re supposed to do — talk in a bipartisan negotiation and each side has input. We did it the right way. You are not.”
The twin failures leave Congress without a clear path forward just 11 days before the deadline. With the House preparing to recess until after September 30 and the Senate scheduled for a holiday break next week, the likelihood of a partial government shutdown on October 1 has sharply increased.
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