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By Gabe Whisnant
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Senate Democrats John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada broke ranks and voted with Republicans on their "clean" continuing resolution that would have prevented a shutdown of the U.S. government.
Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, also voted with Republicans on the measure, which would have extended federal funding for seven weeks. It failed on a 55-45 vote, short of the 60 needed to end a filibuster and pass the legislation.
Now, the government will almost certainly shutdown midnight Wednesday for the first time in almost seven years.
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Why It Matters
The last shutdown came during President Donald Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded funding for his U.S.-Mexico border wall. He ended the standoff after 35 days — the longest shutdown in history — as airport delays mounted and federal workers missed paychecks.
What to Know
Republican leaders say they were encouraged that three members of the Democratic Caucus voted for their bill.
“We can reopen it tomorrow,” Thune said, adding that he was looking for a handful of Democrats to break party lines.
Democrats increasingly warned they would allow a shutdown unless Trump and GOP leaders agreed to their health care demands. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York accused Republicans of trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on health care benefits and other priorities.
Angus King votes for the GOP stop-gap measure. As did Catherine Cortez Masto and Fetterman. Here’s King from this afternoon saying he was torn over it. pic.twitter.com/DmSzUxStsJ
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 30, 2025
Rather than negotiate, Democrats and Republicans have traded blame and held firm to their positions.
“It’s only the president who can do this. We know he runs the show here,” Schumer said Tuesday morning, after a bipartisan White House meeting the day before yielded little progress. “Republicans have until midnight tonight to get serious with us,” Schumer said.
Trump and Republican leaders said they would not consider changes to the bill, calling it a stripped-down, “clean” measure that should have been noncontroversial.
Thune said he would continue to press Democrats to vote for a temporary funding bill.
“The Democratic Caucus here in the Senate has chosen to shut down the government over a clean, nonpartisan funding bill,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said.
Millions of Americans could face higher insurance premiums if federal health care subsidies expire at year’s end. The subsidies, first enacted in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, were designed to help low- and middle-income people buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
Democrats have demanded an immediate extension of the subsidies, a reversal of Medicaid cuts passed this summer in what Trump called his “big, beautiful bill,” and assurances that the White House will not rescind previously approved spending.
“We are not going to support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.
Republicans urged Democrats to keep the government open and debate the tax credits later. Thune said some Republicans are open to extending the subsidies, but many oppose them. In a pointed exchange with Schumer, Thune said Republicans “are happy to fix the ACA issue” if Democrats agree to pass a stopgap funding bill through Nov. 21.
It’s a sad day for our nation.
Our government shuts down at midnight.
I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government.
My vote was our country over my party.
Together, we must find a better way forward. pic.twitter.com/lK1gqIIi60
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 30, 2025
What People Are Saying
Fetterman posted on X after Tuesday's vote, "It’s a sad day for our nation. Our government shuts down at midnight. I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government. My vote was our country over my party. Together, we must find a better way forward."
Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman of New York told MSNBC Tuesday, "I, frankly, am very upset to see Sen. Cortez Masto and Sen. King already caving...Republicans need to come to the table to negotiate a bipartisan deal that can get bipartisan votes that can both open the government and fix this healthcare crisis."
What Happens Next
A shutdown would force hundreds of thousands of federal workers to be furloughed or laid off. Trump on Tuesday threatened Democrats with retribution if the government closes, warning it could mean “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”
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Updates: 9/30/25, 7:46 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Updates: 9/30/25, 7:59 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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