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The US Senate has once again failed to pass a spending budget, making it the fifth such time that would continue to keep the government in a state of shutdown.
Both Democratic and Republican funding proposals failed to pass in the Senate, unable to reach the 60-vote threshold needed for approval.
President Donald Trump had warned earlier that another stalemate could result in significant job losses. The budget impasse has already left thousands of federal workers either furloughed or working without pay.
With this Senate vote stalemate, the government has entered its sixth day in shutdown as Republicans and Democrats fail to reach a consensus over legislation on healthcare. The Democratic-proposed bill to extend the government’s spending failed first on Monday with a 45-50 vote, while the GOP’s bill fell short at 52-42.
‘Happy to work with Democrats’
Trump said Monday he would be “happy” to negotiate a deal on health programs with Democrats, but demanded that the federal government be reopened first.
“I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open,” he said on his Truth Social platform.
Republicans are digging in their heels, with House Speaker Mike Johnson telling his members not even to report to Congress unless the Democrats cave, insisting any debate over health care be held after reopening the government.
What’s the issue?
Democrats have withheld support for the Republican-led proposal, arguing that it undermines healthcare access for low-income Americans.
They are pushing for any funding bill to protect health insurance subsidies for lower-income individuals and to restore Medicaid funding that was reduced by the Trump administration.
Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer challenged Johnson to begin health care talks immediately.
“If he’s serious about lowering costs and protecting the health care of the American people, why wait?” he said in a post on X. “Democrats are ready to do it now.”
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which he signed into law on July 4, would strip 11 million Americans of health care coverage, mainly through cuts to the Medicaid program for low-income families.
With inputs from agencies