WASHINGTON — The government shut down just after midnight on Wednesday after federal funding for the 2025 fiscal year expired, leaving several agencies and programs at a standstill until some sort of spending deal is passed by Congress.
The shutdown comes just hours after the Senate rejected two separate spending proposals to keep the government open, each failing along party lines as Republicans and Democrats attempt to blame the other for the lapse in funding. The path forward is now unclear as lawmakers are expected to return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday no closer to a deal.
The Senate voted on a Democratic-led proposal on Tuesday night as well as a Republican-led one, with both failing to reach the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. Both bills previously failed when brought to the Senate floor earlier this month.
But this time, the vote comes just hours before federal funding is set to expire for a slew of agencies, with only those that are deemed essential to public health, safety or security expected to remain open. It’s not yet clear how top party leaders will proceed with talks to fund the government as Democrats and Republicans spar over what to include in the package.
The Senate adjourned for the night and won’t return until Wednesday morning at the earliest. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., signaled they would continue voting on the Republican-led continuing resolution until it passes — although it’s not clear how long that could take, or if Democrats will seek to secure an alternative deal.
Republicans put forward a stopgap funding bill that would extend current spending levels until Nov. 21, giving appropriators an additional seven weeks to finalize full-year funding bills for fiscal year 2026. The package would also include millions of dollars in additional spending for lawmaker security in the wake of recent political attacks.
At least seven Democrats or Democratic-aligned independents were needed to support the bill, but only three voted in favor: Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Angus King, I-Maine. One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, also rejected the proposal.
The bill ultimately failed in a 55-45 vote.
“Democrats may have chosen to shut down the government tonight, but we can reopen it tomorrow,” Thune said on Tuesday. “All it takes is a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to pass the clean nonpartisan funding bill.”
Democratic bill adds $1 trillion in health care spending
Democrats also forced a vote on their counterproposal, which would have extended current government funding until Oct. 31 and provide millions of dollars in additional spending for lawmaker security. The bill also includes language to reverse health care cuts previously approved in President Donald Trump’s tax package this summer and to permanently extend Obamacare tax credits, at a cost of more than a trillion dollars.
GOP leaders rejected those demands, arguing any legislation on health care tax subsidies should be handled in separate negotiations. Similarly, Republicans have repeatedly rejected Democrats’ attempts to rein in Trump’s authority in advancing his agenda.
The Democratic proposal failed in a 47-53 vote with no GOP support.
The failed votes leave the Senate at a standstill without a clear path forward. Party leaders could continue talks, although those have not yielded promising results over the last few days.
Thune also warned on Tuesday that Republicans would not engage in negotiations during a shutdown, essentially telling Democrats they must vote to advance the stopgap bill that temporarily extends funding
Trump met with the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Monday, but both parties emerged blaming the other for what they considered an imminent shutdown. Neither side has signaled they are ready to fold.
Looking ahead
The Senate won’t be in session Thursday to observe Yom Kippur. That means if the Senate fails to pass an agreement on Wednesday, the next earliest date for a vote is Friday afternoon or evening. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said votes could drag into the weekend.
“The cracks of the Democrats are already showing,” Barrasso said on Tuesday. “Last time we had a vote on our proposal to keep the government open ... right before the recess, we had one Democrat vote. Tonight, we had three.”
Meanwhile, offices on Capitol Hill as well as other federal agencies in Washington have begun issuing guidance to prepare for a shutdown, including information on which employees are deemed essential, which services will continue, and what to expect when it comes to salary pay, among other things.
The Office of Management and Budget officially noticed a shutdown warning on Tuesday evening, instructing agencies to begin taking steps to prepare for a lapse in funding.
Essential services and mandatory spending programs will continue to function, but thousands of government workers will be furloughed and other offices will close their doors until further notice.