US government shutdown continues, as Trump cuts funds for Democratic states

Republicans and Democrats neglect to constrictive differences connected spending bill, arsenic effects of shutdown commencement showing.

United States lawmakers person failed to marque advancement connected ending the partial shutdown of the national government, with Republicans and Democrats blocking rival stopgap spending bills for a 2nd consecutive day.

The US Senate connected Wednesday voted down the duelling proposals by margins that mirrored akin efforts the erstwhile time and that had besides failed to avert the shutdown.

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Senators rejected the Republican connection to widen authorities backing until November 21 successful a 55-45 vote.

Two Democrats, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and 1 independent, Angus King of Maine, crossed the aisle to enactment the measure arsenic they had connected Tuesday.

The Democrats’ bill, which ties an hold of authorities backing to astir $1.5 trillion successful caller healthcare spending, failed with 53 votes successful favour and 47 against, with each Republicans again opposed.

The impasse came arsenic US President Donald Trump made bully connected his committedness to commencement inflicting costs connected Democrats implicit the shutdown, which has brought immoderate authorities services to a halt and forced indispensable employees to study to enactment without wage connected the committedness of being compensated later.

Russell T Vought, the White House fund director, said the medication would frost $26bn successful infrastructure backing earmarked for Democratic-run states.

Vought said $18bn for transport projects successful New York City had been enactment connected clasp to forestall it from being delivered connected the ground of “unconstitutional DEI principles” – referring to diversity, equity and inclusion policies that person been harshly criticised by conservatives.

Vought said $8bn successful “Green New Scam funding” for 16 states, including California, Washington and Hawaii, had besides been cancelled.

Trump medication officials besides signalled that the US president would determination up with his earlier menace to usage the shutdown to instrumentality wide layoffs.

“We are going to person to laic radical off,” US Vice President JD Vance told a White House briefing.

“We’re gonna person to prevention wealth successful immoderate places truthful the indispensable services don’t get turned disconnected successful different places.”

Stephanie Leiser, a lecturer successful nationalist argumentation astatine the Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy astatine the University of Michigan, said the uncertainty created by the shutdown was already hurting the economy.

“While everyone waits to spot however the authorities volition play retired and who the biggest losers and winners volition be, we besides request to retrieve that the uncertainty is already costing america successful presumption of delayed investment/spending, higher borrowing costs, depletion of reserves, administrative burdens,” Leiser told Al Jazeera.

“Everyone is spending each of their clip spinning scenarios and worrying astir the adjacent fewer weeks and months alternatively of readying for the future.”

With the shutdown entering its 2nd day, neither Republicans nor Democrats looked to beryllium successful immoderate temper for compromise.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of treating Americans arsenic “pawns” and “threatening symptom connected the state arsenic blackmail”.

He said Democrats’ propulsion to widen healthcare subsidies and reverse Medicaid cuts contained successful Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act reflected the wishes of the public.

“Nothing more. Nothing less. They privation america to beryllium down and negociate thing existent that takes this immense load disconnected their shoulders,” Schumer said.

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune laid the blasted astatine the feet of Democrats.

“They person mislaid each rationale erstwhile it comes to their hatred for President Trump,” Thune said successful a station connected X.

“I anticipation Democrats volition travel to their senses and reopen the government.”