Senate’s bid to end government shutdown fails in another partisan showdown

The government shutdown that began Wednesday will not end in a single day after the Senate, for the third time, rejected dueling stopgap funding bills.

The only one that could have immediately ended the shutdown is a House-passed continuing resolution renewing the expired fiscal 2025 spending levels and policies through Nov. 21.

The measure failed 55-45, short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. It was the same tally as the previous vote on the bill held Tuesday evening, hours before the shutdown began.

Three senators who caucus with the Democrats crossed the aisle to support the GOP stopgap: Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Angus King of Maine.

Those Democrats also supported their party’s alternative four-week continuing resolution that adds health care and other provisions they are demanding be part of a bipartisan negotiation. The measure failed 47-53.

Senate Republican Conference Chair Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, said the only way out of the shutdown is for Senate Democrats to help pass the seven-week stopgap.

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“Until then, there’s nothing to negotiate, there’s no compromises to be had, there’s no games, there’s no back channels,” he said. “Senate Democrats will hopefully do the right thing. And if they don’t today, then they’ll have another chance later this week and next week and as long as it takes until the Senate passes the House bill.”

While Senate Republicans are hoping they can wear enough Democrats down with repeated votes, Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York said that’s not going to happen.

He is demanding a bipartisan negotiation. His party’s top goal is to extend pandemic-era expansions of Obamacare premium subsidies that will otherwise expire this year.

Republicans have mixed views about extending the subsidies, but agree they won’t negotiate while the government is shut down.

“They don’t have the votes,” Mr. Schumer said. “The way out of this is for Republicans to finally roll up their sleeves and get to work. Republicans need to get serious and start actually addressing the looming [health care] crisis and reopen the government.”