The possibility of a US government shutdown intensified on Friday after the US Senate rejected a short-term funding bill designed to keep federal agencies running beyond September 30 and then departed for a week-long recess. Lawmakers voted 44-48 to defeat the stopgap spending measure, which would have maintained federal agencies at their current funding levels until November 21. The bill was met with near-unanimous opposition from Democrats, who were demanding increased funding for healthcare. Republicans stated that they might hold another vote on September 29, just one day before the funding is set to expire, when senators are scheduled to return from their break. Senate Majority Leader John Thune attributed the heightened risk of a shutdown to the Democrats. “Ultimately, it’s going to be an up or down vote on whether they want to keep the government open,” he remarked. Democrats had sought additional funds for healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and the restoration of funding cuts to the Medicaid healthcare program for lower-income Americans. However, that effort failed with a 47-45 vote. In recent years, Congress has struggled to pass spending legislation due to rising partisan tensions, repeatedly raising the specter of a shutdown that would result in unpaid government employees and widespread service disruptions. The provisional spending bill included $88 million to protect lawmakers, executive branch officials, and the Supreme Court in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Only 43 Republicans and one Democrat, Senator John Fetterman, voted in favor of it, a number far short of the 60 votes required for passage in the Senate. Two Republicans, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul, sided with other Democrats and independents in opposition. The Republican caucus was also hampered by absences, with eight members not casting a vote. The annual funding debate only addresses approximately one-quarter of the federal government’s $7 trillion budget, which also encompasses mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare, as well as payments on the nation’s $37.5 trillion debt. The same stopgap bill had previously passed the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 217-212. In a move to put pressure on Senate Democrats, House Republican leaders announced they would not reconvene until after October 1. “If there was ever a sign that the Republicans wanted a shutdown, that’s it,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
