Government shutdown enters Day 8 as Senate remains deadlocked

Senate Democrats blocked Republicans’ bid to reopen the federal government for the sixth time on Wednesday, as stress and threats from the White Home elevated.

It has been eight days of “Groundhog Day” within the Senate, however not like Invoice Murray’s 1993 comedy, little or no progress has been made among the many forged of senators. Talks are nonetheless ongoing, however have but to take the leap into full-fledged negotiations to finish the federal government shutdown.

The night time earlier than the vote Wednesday morning, a bipartisan group of lawmakers met to debate the shutdown and a method out over Thai meals in Washington.

SENATE blocks vote on halting vote amid warning that laid-off employees may lose pay

Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, throughout a information convention on the U.S. Capitol in Washington on October 3, 2025. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures)

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., stated the group’s purpose was to discover a strategy to reopen the federal government and maintain it open, slightly than repeating the identical cycle when funding runs out once more on Nov. 21.

“We’re not engaged on an answer to reopen the federal government. We’re not negotiating. We now have a clear CR that they need to settle for,” Mullin stated. “Our complete purpose is how will we stop that, if we reopen it, how will we stop a shutdown.”

Republicans in Congress are assured that the perfect path ahead is to move their Persevering with Decision (CR), which might maintain the federal government open till November 21, add thousands and thousands to strengthen member safety, and supply an answer to the Washington, DC funds that was missed by the Home of Representatives earlier this 12 months.

Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., plans to proceed placing the identical invoice on the ground and hopes rifts emerge throughout the Democratic caucus’ united entrance. To this point, nonetheless, solely three members of the Senate Democratic caucus have break up from the bigger group: Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine.

However Democrats, led by Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have led the combat to reopen the federal government on well being care, notably via the blunt instrument of tax credit score expirations underneath Obamacare, formally often called the Reasonably priced Care Act (ACA).

“Nothing has modified,” Thune stated. “All of us perceive, you realize what they need to do, and we’re not averse, as I’ve stated repeatedly, to having that dialog. In some unspecified time in the future they’ve to just accept ‘sure’ as a solution.”

SENATE REPUBLICANS CONFIRM MORE THAN 100 TRUMP NOMINES AS GOVERNMENT LOCKOUT CONTINUES

The federal government remained shut down on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, as Senate Democrats continued to demand a deal from President Donald Trump to increase expiring ObamaCare subsidies. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures)

Though the credit do not expire till the tip of the 12 months, Democrats argue that with open enrollment starting Nov. 1, Individuals who depend on the subsidies will see a pointy improve of their premium prices except Congress acts.

“We imagine that the stress that the American individuals are placing on Republicans, who’re already seeing indicators of cracking, will push them to come back to the desk, and that we are able to negotiate an excellent deal for the American individuals,” Schumer stated.

However their query shouldn’t be solely one-dimensional both. Their counterproposal to the Republican Occasion’s CR set out in starker phrases that they need a everlasting extension of the Obamacare subsidies, to see guardrails positioned on President Donald Trump’s means to claw again the funding via the rescission and suspension course of, together with an entire repeal of the “large, stunning invoice” well being care title and the return of canceled funding for NPR and PBS.

“Pay attention, this can be a distinctive second, a singular second the place we are able to demand that we simply vote for a funds that helps our individuals and stops the lawlessness,” stated Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “I would like the ACA subsidies restored, however I’d even be a loser if I voted for a funds that permits Trump to proceed to get away with this stage of corruption and permits him to easily minimize the spending within the invoice for states like Connecticut.”

SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN HOLDS AS SENATE DEMS BLOCK GOP BID TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., is interviewed by FOX Information Channel’s Bret Baier exterior the West Wing of the White Home on September 29, 2025 in Washington. (Alex Brandon/AP Picture)

Lurking within the background are the threats from the administration led by Russ Vought, director of the Workplace of Administration and Price range (OMB). He has already withheld practically $30 billion in infrastructure funding for blue cities and states, and thru a pair of memos has ordered layoffs at businesses and prompt that laid-off employees could not obtain again wages.

The most recent transfer goes in opposition to a legislation signed by President Donald Trump that ensures furlough pay for employees after the 2019 shutdown, the longest in U.S. historical past.

Whereas it was thought there can be layoffs, Trump appeared to present some respiration room on the difficulty on Tuesday.

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“I can inform you that in 4 or 5 days,” Trump informed reporters. “If this continues, will probably be vital, and plenty of of these jobs won’t ever come again, however you’re going to get quite a bit nearer to a balanced funds.”

Nonetheless, Senate Democrats remained unfazed by the threats, particularly the final employees to go with out again pay.

“I am not assured Trump can get it accomplished,” stated Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. “He has subordinates who subverted considered one of Donald Trump’s achievements. It was Donald Trump who made that assure when he signed the invoice in January 2019, and now he has officers within the OMB suggesting they could return on what he promised. I hope he’s pleased with his work.’