1 of 4 | House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., looks on as House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., speaks during a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing on the effects of the government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
The nation’s second-longest government shutdown continues after Senate Democrats rejected a continuing resolution to reopen the federal government on Wednesday.
The Senate voted 54-46 to pass a House-approved continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through Nov. 21 while continuing to negotiate a bipartisan 2026 fiscal year budget.
Wednesday’s vote was the Senate’s 12th for the House-passed bill to reopen the government and would fund it until Nov. 21.
Democratic Party Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Senate Democrats, continued to vote in favor of the temporary funding measure.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky remained the lone Senate Republican to oppose the funding measure.
Senate rules require 60 votes to overcome a potential filibuster and pass the funding bill.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., started a filibuster on Tuesday night that lasted for 22 hours and 37 minutes as he criticized Trump’s second term in office, CBS News reported.
“I’ve come to the Senate floor tonight to ring the alarm bells,” Merkley said in his opening remarks.
“We’re in the most perilous moment, the biggest threat to our republic since the Civil War. President Trump is shredding our Constitution,” he claimed.
Senate Democrats said they won’t support the continuing resolution that would extend the 2025 federal budget until the 2026 measure is finalized and approved in the House and Senate.
The Senate Democrats earlier introduced an alternative funding measure that would have kept the federal government open through Oct. 31 but also would add $1.5 trillion in additional spending over the next 10 years.
The Senate Democratic caucus is demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits and expansion of Medicaid to be added in the temporary funding measure instead of negotiating it in the 2026 budget.
House Democrats and members of the Senate Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee met Wednesday morning and criticized House Republicans for staying away from Washington while the Senate Democrats continue balking at passing a temporary funding measure.
“Today’s Day 22 of the Trump-Republican shutdown of the federal government, and all across the country, every day Americans are hurting,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
House Democratic leaders on Tuesday asked President Donald Trump for a meeting on the shutdown, but he refused, saying he will only meet with them once the government reopens, CBS News reported.
Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., spoke at a press conference on Wednesday about the effect of the shutdown on national parks.
“This can’t continue indefinitely. Despite all the extraordinary efforts being made, at some point, without funding, the public lands will not be accessible to the public,” Westerman said.
“The longer this unnecessary shutdown lasts, the more negative consequences it will start to [have],” Westerman added. “Without regular staffing, litter will pile up, and park ecosystems will be affected.”
The 22-day shutdown is surpassed only by a 35-day shutdown during Trump’s first term in office, from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019, due to Democrats’ opposition to funding a border wall.
