Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, left, and US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, during a quality league astatine the US Capitol successful Washington, DC, US, connected Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.
Valerie Plesch | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The government shutdown stretched into its 3rd week connected Wednesday arsenic Republican and Democratic senators continued to excavation successful their heels connected dueling stopgap backing proposals.
The Senate is acceptable Wednesday day to ballot for the ninth clip connected competing short-term backing resolutions that person failed successful 8 erstwhile votes.
Republicans importune connected a "clean" continuing solution that would supply funds to reopen the authorities until astatine slightest Nov. 21.
Democrats privation immoderate backing measure to widen enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that are acceptable to tally retired astatine the extremity of this year. That and different provisions successful the Democratic measure would outgo an estimated $1 trillion.
Wednesday's ballot comes days aft the Trump medication said successful a tribunal filing that much than 4,000 national employees received notifications that they were being laid off.
Trump medication officials blasted the alleged reductions-in-force connected Senate Democrats' refusal to ballot for the Republican backing proposal.
"Democrats are dug successful 15 days into a authorities shutdown. Democrats amusement nary motion that they're acceptable for it to end," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Wednesday connected the chamber's floor.
"Not adjacent the imaginable of subject families going without a paycheck was capable for Democrats to reopen the government," Thune said.
"Nor are Democrats acrophobic astir needy families uncertain astir ... the aboriginal of nutrition assistance, oregon Americans successful flood zones who are incapable to update their security oregon adjacent connected a location successful the midst of hurricane season," Thune said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., countered Thune's argument, saying that the authorities has been unopen since Oct. 1 due to the fact that Republicans "refuse to enactment with Democrats successful a superior mode to hole the wellness attraction situation looming implicit the American people."
"As we speak, families are receiving letters for their caller wellness security rates, and much states, much states are opening their model buying play for what wellness security volition look similar adjacent year," Schumer said.
"With unfastened enrollment astir the corner, Republicans cannot proceed to footwear this tin down the road. It's happening now. The wellness attraction situation is now," Schumer said.
Thune and different Republicans person said they are consenting to sermon the question of extending ACA enhanced taxation credits aft the short-term backing is approved.
"We request 5 much Democrats to accidental capable is capable to enactment the American radical up of the acold near and to enactment this clean, nonpartisan continuing solution sitting close determination astatine the Senate desk, acceptable to beryllium picked up and passed today," said Thune connected Wednesday.
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