By Thérèse Boudreaux | The Center Square
(Worthy News) – Democratic U.S. Senators voted against opening the federal government for a sixth time Wednesday afternoon, dimming hopes that Congress will reach a funding deal in time for thousands of federal workers to receive their next paychecks.
It’s day eight of the partial government shutdown, the first in nearly seven years that lawmakers have let federal agencies run out of money to support their operations.
Despite voting for nearly the same bill a total of 13 times during the Biden administration, Senate Democrats have continued to vote down Republicans’ House-passed Continuing Resolution that would simply extend government funding for seven weeks.
Democratic leaders oppose the bill because it does nothing to prevent the enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credits from expiring in December, a policy issue that they believe must be addressed now to prevent millions of Americans’ health care premiums from spiking.
By refusing to negotiate now on health care policy and refusing to pass Democrats’ doomed $1.4 trillion counterproposal, Republicans and President Donald Trump “own” the shutdown, Democrats argue.
“It’s now been a full week of Donald Trump’s government shutdown. 700,000+ federal employees furloughed[.] Disruptions to critical services[.] Businesses nationwide with government contracts are in peril[.] Because Donald Trump and the Republicans would rather close the government than fix healthcare for millions of Americans,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted on social media after the vote.
Most Republicans have said they are willing to discuss health care policy with Democrats, but only after the government reopens.
U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, highlighted how unless Republicans gain enough Democratic votes by Oct. 15, roughly 1.3 million active members of the military will not see their next paycheck.
“We may have a majority, but you’ve got 53, and it takes 60 votes to be able to get anything passed. So we need at least seven Democrats,” Van Duyne told The Center Square. “Three of them have already stepped up and have voted for this continuing resolution. But we need seven of them to come to the table.”
The longer a shutdown drags on, the more that federal services and the economy are negatively impacted. About $15 billion in Gross Domestic Product is lost per week during a government shutdown, as The Center Square reported.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
After hours of tense negotiations, European Union leaders agreed to provide Ukraine with a 90 billion euro loan (about $100 billion) to meet the wartorn nation’s urgent financial needs. However, they failed to reach a consensus on whether the loan should be secured using Russia’s frozen assets held in Europe.
Several people were detained for trying to interrupt a pro-Israel demonstration at Dam Square in Amsterdam attended by around 2,000 people, police and organizers said.
Five Iranian Christians have been sentenced to a combined 55 years in prison amid a broader crackdown on devout Christian believers in Iran, a strict Islamic nation, sources told Worthy News Thursday.
Egyptian Christians facing religious-based violence and discrimination are increasingly relying on underground safe houses as authorities continue to fall short on protecting minority rights, Christian advocates say.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced plans Tuesday to overhaul the U.S. military’s Chaplain Corps, arguing the institution has drifted from its original mission and lost the “faith and virtue” that defined it when it was established under George Washington more than 250 years ago.
The United States has approved $11.1 billion in new arms-sales packages for Taiwan, signaling continued security support for the island even as President Donald Trump’s administration emphasizes trade and economic engagement with China, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation late Wednesday night that would criminalize gender transition treatments for minors, marking a significant victory for conservatives who argue the federal government must step in to protect children from irreversible medical procedures.