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As a government shutdown looms mere hours away, Democrats and Republicans are pointing fingers at each other and refusing to compromise, leaving countless federal employees at risk of being temporarily furloughed or laid off.
The deadlock over healthcare and financial matters is on the verge of sparking the first shutdown of the US government in nearly seven years, set to begin at 12.01am on Wednesday (2.01pm AEST).
To avert it, the Senate would need to approve a House of Representatives proposal aimed at extending federal funding for seven weeks, allowing legislators time to finalize annual spending bills. However, with emotions running high, the likelihood of a resolution seemed slim, making a shutdown increasingly probable with each passing hour.
Although political deadlocks over government expenses are common in Washington, this particular impasse arises as Democrats perceive a unique chance to utilize their influence to achieve policy objectives, with their supporters eager for a confrontation with Trump.
The Republicans, possessing a 53-47 majority in the Senate, would require at least eight Democratic votes to overcome a filibuster and pass the bill with 60 votes, particularly since Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky is anticipated to oppose it.
Still, Schumer said Trump and Republicans would be to blame if the government shuts down.
A small number of Democrats are still undecided on their vote, hoping for a last-minute agreement. Thune expressed optimism, suggesting “there are Democrats who are reasonable and aware of what’s at stake here.”
The last shutdown was in Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his US-Mexico border wall. Trump retreated after 35 days — the longest shutdown ever — amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.
Democrats’ healthcare demands
Millions of people could face higher insurance premiums if the health care subsidies expire at the end of the year. Congress first put them in place in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to expand coverage for low- and middle-income people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Democrats say they want the subsidies immediately extended. They have also demanded that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts that were enacted as a part of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” this year and for the White House to promise it will not move to rescind spending passed by Congress.
