The Senate failed for a seventh time Thursday to pass dueling short-term spending bills to reopen the government, the latest indicator that lawmakers are no closer to a deal on healthcare demands from Democrats.
The shutdown, on its ninth day, is on track to drag into next week. The upper chamber appeared likely to hold a rare Friday session before departing for the weekend and returning next week. The Senate has a scheduled recess next week, but GOP leadership is expected to have senators forgo all or part of it.
The impasse, centered on Democratic demands that expiring Obamacare subsidies be extended, is on the cusp of jeopardizing the paydays of military members, congressional staffers, and federal employees unless Congress passes government funding in the coming days. Still, both sides remained dug in and had yet to engage in serious bipartisan talks.
Similar to the previous six votes, a Democratic stopgap funding measure with progressive policy priorities, including the Obamacare subsidies, was defeated 47-50 along party lines. The “clean” GOP bill, which keeps the government operating at current spending levels through Nov. 21, was shot down 54-45, with Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Angus King (I-ME), who caucuses with Democrats, again bucking their party to side with Republicans.
Both measures had a 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) used the impending missed paycheck for troops and other federal employees to make his latest pitch for Democrats to help reopen the government and begin negotiations on the healthcare premiums.
“A handful of votes away from paying our troops, and we’re going to see if that matters to Democrats,” Thune said prior to the votes. “We’ll see if Democrats choose to pay America’s troops or if they once again bow to the demands of their far-left base, which is telling them to hold out, or their strategists who tell them that they’re ‘winning the shutdown.’”
Democratic leadership in the Senate is avoiding the backlash facing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) over his decision to rule out extending the subsidies for only one year by refusing to stake out any red lines.
OSSOFF STICKS WITH TRUMP RESISTANCE DESPITE SHUTDOWN PRESSURE
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) directed the crux of his criticism before the votes toward House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who has kept his members on recess since passing the GOP funding bill nearly three weeks ago. He quoted Republicans such as Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) for wanting the House to come back into session.
“The cracks are showing on the Republican side because they know Speaker Johnson’s position of not budging on healthcare and healthcare fixes is untenable,” Schumer said.
