Senate votes reject spending deals for the sixth time; govt shutdown drags on

The US Senate once again failed to advance funding bills to end the government shutdown, for the sixth time, on Wednesday, with no signs of an end to the stalemate. Democrats and Republicans traded blame for the impasse. The vote to move forward on the GOP measure, which has already passed the House, was 54 to 45, but 60 votes were needed. Republicans could not pick up any new support from Democrats on the procedural vote, which marked the sixth time votes on the measure have fallen short. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he would not call back the House to vote on a separate bill to pay members of the military. “The House is done. The ball is now in the Senate’s court,” he said, adding that Senate Democrats should support the GOP bill to reopen the government.

There seems to be no end soon for the government shutdown after senators rejected a Republican and a Democratic plan to reopen the government. Democrats pushed for health care reforms in their package, while the GOP-backed legislation would have kept government funding at the same levels until Nov. 21.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated his position that Republican leaders need to negotiate with Democrats over expiring health care tax credits before his party would support a funding bill to reopen the government. He told reporters that a future commitment to negotiate would not be enough to win Democrats’ support.

GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas did not vote on the procedural motions for either funding bill.

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Democratic funding measure falls short in 47-52 vote

The procedural vote on the Democratic measure to fund the government fell short in a 47 to 52 party-line vote.

The Senate last voted on the measure on Monday, when Republicans saw no new progress on their effort to win support from Democrats.

Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Angus King of Maine have been the only senators to cross the aisle in support of the GOP proposal. Republicans need support from at least five more Democrats to advance the measure.

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