Senate Democrats block government funding bill for 13th time

Senate Democrats on Tuesday voted for the 13th time to block a House-passed bill to reopen the federal government, despite a plea this week by the nation’s largest federal workers union to end the 28-day shutdown.

The House-passed measure to fund the government through Nov. 21 failed by a 54-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to advance.

Only three members of the Democratic caucus voted to advance the bill: Sens. John Fetterman (Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said before the vote that Republicans need to start negotiating an extension of expiring health insurance subsidies in order to bring federal employees back to work.

He noted that the open enrollment period for the health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act begins on Nov. 1.

“Republicans do not even want to talk about fixing health care. Americans are on the brink of a health care crisis unlike we have seen in our lifetimes,” he warned.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) repeated his rebuttal to Democrats that GOP leaders will only talk about the looming expiration of health insurance tax credits once Democrats vote to open the government.

Thune quoted a statement by Everett Kelley, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Monday urging Democrats to vote for a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.

“'The path forward for Congress is clear, reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues.' End quote. … That is from the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a labor union,” Thune said on the Senate floor.

Tuesday’s vote came amid growing pressure on Congress to reopen the government as it nears the 30-day mark.

Lawmakers in both parties warn that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will begin to expire on Nov. 1 and that airports around the country are experiencing more frequent delays because of the strain the shutdown is putting on air traffic controllers.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned over the weekend that the administration would not have enough money to cover the paychecks of military service members on Nov. 15.

The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, may be forced to make a critical decision on cutting interest rates at a time when the government has stopped collecting and releasing information about the economy, including labor, production and export statistics.