Washington: The United States government entered a shutdown on Tuesday night after a last-minute Senate vote failed to extend federal funding beyond the midnight deadline. The measure, intended to avert the closure of government operations, fell short in a 55-to-45 vote, missing the 60-vote threshold required to advance the legislation.
The impasse reflects deep partisan divisions over the scope of the spending bill. Senate Democrats opposed the measure, insisting that any extension of funding must also include permanent protections for Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. Without such action, healthcare costs for approximately 24 million Americans could spike sharply, Democrats warned, framing the vote as a critical step to prevent widespread financial strain on families.
Republicans, meanwhile, expressed willingness to address the healthcare subsidies but argued that such fixes should be tackled separately from the funding bill. They accused Democrats of using the government budget as leverage to secure policy concessions for their political base. “We are open to solutions on healthcare, but it cannot hold the government hostage,” Republican lawmakers emphasized.
Efforts to resolve the deadlock continued on Wednesday, but both sides remained entrenched. The Senate rejected a Republican proposal to fund the government through November 21 as well as a Democratic effort to combine funding with healthcare protections. With no compromise in sight, hundreds of thousands of federal employees were furloughed, and numerous government services were suspended, signaling the start of what could become a prolonged shutdown.
As the closure continues, the American public faces uncertainty regarding federal operations, social services, and regulatory functions, while lawmakers remain locked in a standoff over funding priorities and healthcare protections.