WASHINGTON — The Senate rejected a pair of spending resolutions to reopen the government on Monday, marking the fifth time senators have failed to agree on a funding extension as Democrats and Republicans wrestle over what policies to include in the bill.
The failed votes leave federal agencies shuttered and thousands of workers without pay as lawmakers remain in the dayslong stalemate. Senators voted against both a Democratic proposal and a Republican one, both failing mostly along party lines.
The failed votes put the Senate into a period of inaction as chamber rules require at least 60 votes to overcome a filibuster — meaning at least seven Democrats would need to join all Republicans in advancing the measure.
So far, only three have crossed party lines to do so, and Republicans will likely need an additional Democrat to offset Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has consistently voted against the spending resolution.
The GOP spending bill failed on Monday in a final vote of 52-42.
Democrats say Trump hasn’t spoken to them in over a week
President Donald Trump turned heads on Monday when he told reporters in the Oval Office he was engaging in talks with top Democrats — seemingly contradicting Republican leaders who say they won’t negotiate until the government is reopened.
“We have a negotiation going on with Democrats that could lead to very good things ... with regard to health care,” Trump said.
But Democratic leaders were quick to refute that statement, claiming the White House has not spoken to either Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in over a week.
“The White House has gone radio silent since the Oval Office meeting last Monday,” Jeffries told reporters. “I do not know of any Democrats who have spoken to President Trump or members of his administration on this issue.”
White House reups warning of mass layoffs
The White House could begin initiating federal layoffs if Senate Democrats don’t support the Republican spending resolution, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, before the failed votes.
“We hope that the vote will not fail, because this administration wants to reopen the government,” Leavitt told reporters on Monday. “We don’t want to see people laid off, but unfortunately, if this shutdown continues, layoffs are going to be an unfortunate consequence of that... We’ll see how the vote goes tonight.”
Trump echoed those sentiments during a separate press briefing on Monday, noting the failed votes in the Senate “could” lead to layoffs in the coming days.
“(At) some point it will,” he said.
The White House Office of Management and Budget sent a memo to agencies last month with instructions to prepare “reduction in force” plans in the case of a shutdown next week, laying the groundwork for mass firings across the federal government. The memo, obtained by the Deseret News, instructs agency officials to identify programs with lapsed funding that do not have alternative funding available.
The guidance also directs agencies to draft plans to eliminate jobs that are not “consistent with the President’s priorities” if a spending deal isn’t passed — setting the stage for a more drastic workforce reduction than is typical during previous shutdown periods.
Democrats have so far brushed off those threats, calling them an intimidation tactic.
“Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one—not to govern, but to scare,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said in a statement when the memo was first sent to agencies. “This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government. These unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back.”
Johnson rejects Democratic challenge to debate
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected a challenge from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to debate on the House floor over which party is to blame for the government shutdown, calling it a “desperate plea for attention.”
Jeffries challenged Johnson to a one-on-one debate on the floor sometime this week to explain Republicans’ position on government funding as top GOP leaders say they won’t negotiate until Democrats pass the majority party’s spending resolution.
Jeffries called it an opportunity for Johnson to explain his “my way or the highway approach to shutting the government down” despite needing Democratic support in the Senate.
“The country needs immediate, bipartisan negotiations between the White House and congressional leadership in order to reach an enlightened spending agreement that reopens the government, improves the lives of hardworking American taxpayers and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to Johnson on Monday. “Unfortunately, Donald Trump and your party decided to shut down the government because the GOP refuses to provide healthcare to everyday Americans.”
But Johnson brushed off the challenge, telling reporters it’s merely an attempt to ignore low polling numbers. Instead, Johnson reiterated his argument that Republicans “have nothing to negotiate” when it comes to reopening the government, placing the blame squarely on Democrats’ shoulders.
“The House has done its job. I’m not going to let Hakeem try to pretend with these theatrics,” Johnson told reporters on Monday. “We don’t need to waste time on that nonsense. Those debates have been had.”
Johnson says the House won’t return to Washington until the Senate passes the spending extension already approved by Republicans in the lower chamber.
However, Democrats have refused to support a spending deal unless it contains major concessions on health care policy, including a permanent extension of Obamacare tax subsidies that are scheduled to expire at the end of this year.