Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked Republicans’ 13th attempt to reopen the government, rejecting a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) as the shutdown stretched into its 28th day, as reported by Fox News.
The impasse has left air traffic controllers without pay, with members of the military set to miss their first full paycheck on Friday and federal nutrition benefits expected to lapse by the weekend.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., sought to advance the short-term funding measure on Tuesday afternoon, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., led Democrats in opposing it.
The standoff comes as a series of financial deadlines loom, including the start of open enrollment for Obamacare on Saturday, coinciding with the projected cutoff for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding.
Republicans have floated a series of targeted, or “rifle shot,” bills aimed at restoring pay for specific groups of federal workers — including troops, air traffic controllers, and food stamp recipients — but prospects for those bills remain uncertain. Thune signaled that GOP leaders were hesitant to move forward with piecemeal legislation.
“There’s not a high level of interest in doing carve-outs or so-called rifle shots,” Thune said Tuesday. “Most people recognize the way to get out of this mess is to open up the government.”
Vice President J.D. Vance joined Senate Republicans for a closed-door lunch to discuss the proposals and possible next steps, though no clear resolution emerged.
Some senators continued pushing for standalone bills. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, whose measure would pay air traffic controllers, said he hoped it would receive a vote. “I certainly hope so,” Cruz told reporters.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., whose prior bill to pay active federal employees and the military was blocked last week, said he is working with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., on a compromise version. However, Johnson admitted he was doubtful Democrats would allow it to advance.
“I want to make this permanent,” Johnson said.
“Let’s take the ability to punish federal employees because of our dysfunction away forever. We’ll add furloughed employees, and we’re not changing anything in terms of the president’s authority — that would be adjudicated in court. So the question is, will they take ‘yes’ for an answer?”
Schumer criticized Republicans for again bringing the same bill to the floor, arguing that their proposal failed to address Democratic demands for a long-term agreement on healthcare subsidies. He also blamed President Donald Trump for being abroad during the negotiations.
“It’s a partisan bill and does nothing — most importantly, does nothing to solve the [Obamacare] crisis,” Schumer said.
“Just now, here on the floor, the Republican leaders seemed perplexed about what precisely it is that Democrats are pushing for. He knows damn well what Democrats want. It’s the very same thing that a vast majority of Americans want, including nearly 60% of MAGA voters. We want lower healthcare costs now.”
The deadlock over funding has intensified pressure on both chambers as essential workers continue to go unpaid.
With no agreement in sight, the Senate is expected to reconvene later this week to consider additional measures aimed at ending the shutdown before federal assistance programs hit critical limits.
