Senate votes against government funding bill, raising shutdown prospects
With a holiday week approaching, lawmakers now have a matter of days to avert a lapse in government funding. It's not looking good.
Zachary SchermeleWASHINGTON – Hours after a stopgap government funding measure passed the House of Representatives, the Senate struck it down, raising the prospects of a shutdown in just over a week.
Senators voted against the GOP-backed bill, 48-44.
On the same day, Republicans in the Senate also defeated Democrats' version of a government funding extension. Their legislation, which GOP leaders denounced as partisan, would have reversed Medicaid cuts and extended Obamacare subsidies set to lapse at the end of the year.
In addition, the Democrats' bill would've set in stone protections to prevent the White House from withholding money appropriated by Congress.
As lawmakers prepared to adjourn ahead of next week's Jewish holidays, the finger-pointing was on full display on Capitol Hill.
Talking to reporters before the votes, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, said President Donald Trump had been ready to sign the GOP's seven-week funding extension. If it had survived Congress, that is.
Instead, Democrats "put out the most partisan piece of legislation they possibly could to attach to a continuing resolution to fund the government for seven weeks," he said. "It's kind of mind-boggling."
In a speech from the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer insisted that Americans are tiring of the Trump administration's agenda. Democrats had to take a stand to protect Americans' health care, he said.
"Republicans are voting like the status quo is good enough. They're wrong," Schumer said. "By not even negotiating, by trying to make this partisan, Donald Trump and Republicans are shutting the government down."
If lawmakers don't return next week, they'll be back on Sept. 29, giving them just two days to avert a shutdown. Funding expires at midnight Sept. 30.
Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.