The United States government entered a shutdown on Wednesday after congressional Democrats declined to support a Republican funding proposal that lacked concessions on healthcare policy.
The Republican Party, which holds majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, rejected Democratic demands, triggering a legislative impasse that persisted until midnight, when both parties failed to advance their respective funding bills in the Senate.
This marks the first government shutdown since the 35-day closure that began in December 2018 during President Trump’s first term. It comes as Democrats seek to recover politically following last year’s general election, which saw Trump re-elected and the party relegated to minority status in both chambers.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of “plunging America into a shutdown,” criticising their refusal to engage in bipartisan negotiations and warning of risks to the nation’s healthcare system.
Last month, House Republicans passed a bill to fund the government through 21 November. However, the measure required support from at least ten Democrats to meet the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. That support failed to materialise during Tuesday’s vote, while Republicans also blocked a Democratic alternative that proposed funding through October alongside various policy changes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune blamed “far-left interest groups” and Democratic lawmakers for the impasse, accusing them of sacrificing the public to partisan objectives.
Further votes on the two funding bills were scheduled for Wednesday morning, with Republicans urging Democrats to reconsider their position.
The White House responded to the shutdown threat by announcing plans for mass layoffs of federal employees should funding not be restored. “When you shut it down, you have to do layoffs,” President Trump said on Tuesday, adding: “They’re going to be Democrats.”
Russ Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, issued a letter attributing the shutdown to “Democrats’ insane policy demands,” and warned that its duration was uncertain.
Democrats have called for an extension of premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which are due to expire at year’s end. They also seek to reverse Republican cuts to Medicaid and public broadcasting, and to prevent the President from using a “pocket rescission” to reduce foreign aid.
The cost of these provisions is estimated at $1 trillion. Approximately 10 million people are expected to lose healthcare coverage due to the Medicaid cuts and changes to the ACA, while insurance premiums could rise for 20 million more without the tax credit extension.
Thune has expressed willingness to negotiate on ACA credits, but insists that government funding must be approved first.
Despite Democratic leaders maintaining a firm stance, internal divisions have begun to surface. Three members of the caucus supported the Republican proposal on Tuesday, two more than during its initial consideration earlier this month.
Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso remarked, “The cracks in the Democrats are already showing.”
Democrats who broke ranks cited concerns over the consequences of a shutdown under the Trump administration. Federal law allows agencies discretion in determining which operations continue during funding lapses.
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada stated, “I cannot support a costly shutdown that would hurt Nevada families and hand even more power to this reckless administration.”
Independent Senator Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, described the vote as “one of the most difficult” of his career, noting that a shutdown would paradoxically increase presidential authority.
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, the only Democrat to support the Republican bill during its initial vote, reiterated his position, saying: “My vote was for our country over my party. Together, we must find a better way forward.”
Historically, the party initiating a shutdown has struggled to achieve its objectives. Public opinion remains divided over the Democrats’ strategy.
A New York Times/Siena poll conducted last week found that only 27 per cent of respondents supported a shutdown, while 65 per cent opposed it. Among Democrats, 47 per cent were in favour and 43 per cent against. Among independents, 59 per cent opposed the move.
A Marist poll released on Tuesday indicated that 38 per cent of voters would blame Republicans for the shutdown, 27 per cent would blame Democrats, and 31 per cent would attribute responsibility to both parties.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who played a key role in the 2013 shutdown aimed at defunding the ACA, dismissed the Democrats’ actions as a “temper tantrum.”
“They’re trying to show … that they hate Trump,” Cruz said. “It will end inevitably in capitulation. At some point they’re going to turn the lights on again, but first they have to rage into the night.”
