US heads for shutdown as Senate Democrats block funding bill

The United States is heading for its first government shutdown in nearly seven years after Senate Democrats voted down a Republican bill to keep federal funding flowing, insisting President Donald Trump must compromise on health care provisions.

In a 55–45 vote late on Tuesday, Democrats defeated legislation that would have extended funding for seven weeks. The bill fell short of the 60 votes required to overcome a filibuster. Democrats demanded an immediate extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are due to expire at the end of the year, as well as a reversal of recent Medicaid cuts.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of trying to “bully” Democrats into submission. “Otherwise, it’s the Republicans who will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them,” he said.

The White House Office of Management and Budget instructed agencies to begin “orderly shutdown” procedures, which could see up to 750,000 federal employees furloughed each day. Many workers may not just be sent home without pay but face permanent job losses, according to warnings from the administration.

Trump digs in

President Trump has said he will not accept changes to what Republicans call a “clean” spending bill. Threatening Democrats with consequences, he said a shutdown could mean “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programmes that they like.”

Republicans hold a 53–47 Senate majority but needed at least eight Democrats to break ranks after Senator Rand Paul voted against the bill. Three lawmakers – Democrats John Fetterman and Catherine Cortez Masto, and independent Angus King – sided with Republicans in support of the measure. King warned that refusing to compromise could cause “permanent damage”.

Republican leader John Thune predicted Democratic resistance would weaken once the effects of a shutdown were felt. “We can reopen it tomorrow if enough Democrats come around,” he said.

High stakes for federal workers

Federal agencies had already been preparing for a lapse in funding. The Department of Housing and Urban Development posted a notice blaming the “Radical Left” for impending disruption. The Congressional Budget Office estimates hundreds of thousands of employees could be affected daily, with most not receiving pay.

The situation recalls the 35-day shutdown of late 2018 and early 2019, the longest in US history, when Trump demanded funding for his US–Mexico border wall. That episode ended with the president backing down as federal workers missed paycheques and air travel delays mounted.

Democrats under pressure

While Democrats have long opposed shutdown tactics, many within the party argue they must take a stand against Trump’s demands. Senator Peter Welch of Vermont said: “The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends … at some point you just have to stand up to him.”

Still, divisions are apparent. Some Democrats had previously backed funding extensions to avoid disruption, but party activists are now urging their leaders to hold firm.

Tense backdrop

Talks at the White House earlier this week between Trump and congressional leaders ended without progress. Soon after, Trump posted a doctored online video mocking Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries called it a “racist and fake AI video”, while Schumer accused the president of “trolling like a 10-year-old” on the eve of a crisis.

Unless a last-minute deal is reached, the shutdown will begin at midnight Wednesday, with millions of Americans bracing for the impact.

With PTI/AP Inputs