The Senate on Monday pushed the government shutdown to the one-week mark as Democrats blocked the GOP’s “clean” stopgap funding bill from advancing for a fifth time.
Senators voted 52-42 on the House-passed bill, which needed 60 votes to advance and would have funded the government at Biden-era spending levels until late November. The tally has remained virtually unchanged, other than absences, since the shutdown started last Wednesday.
The trio of Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) crossed over to vote with Republicans, just as they did three times last week. But no other Democrats joined them, leaving the majority party frustrated that they have been unable to win over more votes.
Democrats are demanding that the stopgap bill include an extension of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that are slated to expire at the end of the year.
“I’m wondering just what exactly Democrats think they’re gaining from all of this. I guess they’re getting points from the far-left interest groups they’ve been coordinating their shutdown strategy with,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said on the floor earlier on Monday. “But I highly doubt that they’re earning a lot of points with everyday, hardworking Americans.”
The vote marks the latest sign of stalemate between the two sides. While rank-and-file lawmakers have met at times over the past week to ponder a pathway forward, Thune has made clear he has no reason to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at this point.
The chamber on Monday also voted along party lines against the Democratic stopgap bill that would attach several health care provisions to an extension of government funding.
“We’re ready to work with Republicans to reopen the government and end the healthcare crisis that faces tens of millions of Americans,” Schumer said in floor remarks. “But it takes two sides to have a negotiation. We need the Senate Republicans and House Republicans – and the president – to come to the table.”
Adding a layer to the struggle to find a deal, the House remains out of town, putting the onus on the upper chamber to figure out the path forward. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) indicated on Monday that House members will remain back in their district until senators strike a deal.
“I’m anxious to get my folks back,” Johnson told reporters on Monday. “I want to bring the House back into session and get back to work, but we can’t do it until they turn the lights back on. We need Chuck Schumer to reopen the government, and as soon as he does that, we’ll bring everybody back.”
At present, the House is slated to return on Monday.
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