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The federal government shutdown meandered into its twenty second day endlessly after a twelfth GOP try to reopen the federal government was stalled after which blocked by Senate Democrats on Wednesday night.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus kneecapped Republicans’ bid to reopen the federal government for the twelfth time. The most recent failed vote comes as Schumer has demanded one other assembly with President Donald Trump and on the heels of an nearly 24-hour filibuster by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore, that pushed the vote late into Wednesday.
Throughout his marathon flooring speech, which started at 6:23 pm on Tuesday, Merkley spoke on authoritarianism — what he referred to as the Trump Administration’s overreach on immigration, separation of powers, and extra.
“Republicans have shut down the federal government to proceed the technique of slashing Individuals’ healthcare,” Merkley stated, referring to the healthcare-centered debate holding up consideration of the federal government’s funding.
He concluded his remarks at 5:00 p.m. on Wed.
Little has modified within the higher chamber for the reason that shutdown started. Schumer and the Senate Democratic caucus demand that there be an actual, ironclad deal to increase expiring Obamacare subsidies, whereas Senate Republicans stay adamant that there isn’t a path ahead accessible on the matter till the federal government is reopened.
SCHUMER REQUESTS MEETING WITH TRUMP ‘ANY TIME, ANY PLACE’ AS DEMOCRAT STALEMATE DRAGS ON
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., steps away from reporters following a Democratic coverage luncheon on the U.S. Capitol Constructing in Washington, Oct. 15, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs)
However what’s outdated is new in a repeating cycle, and Schumer desires to fulfill with Trump once more.
Schumer, talking on behalf of Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., requested one other assembly with Trump forward of the vote in a bid to go round Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., and congressional Republicans to safe a deal.
There have been casual talks — extra informal dialog than true negotiation — between Republicans and Democrats, however nothing has materialized that places lawmakers any nearer to fixing the continuing stalemate.
“Hakeem and I reached out to the president immediately and urged him to take a seat down and negotiate with us to resolve the healthcare disaster, deal with it and finish the Trump shutdown,” Schumer stated. “He ought to sit — the issues worsen daily for the American individuals. He ought to sit down with us, negotiate in a critical method earlier than he goes away.”
The final time the highest congressional Democrats met with Trump got here only a day earlier than the climactic vote to avert a shutdown. Neither facet walked away with a compromise, or settlement, to maintain the lights on.
SENATE DEMS EMBOLDENED BY WEEKEND RALLIES BLOCK GOP PLAN TO END SHUTDOWN FOR 11TH TIME
President Donald Trump listens as Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., speaks throughout a lunch with Republican senators on the Rose Backyard patio on the White Home in Washington, Oct. 21, 2025. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
Quick-forward to the shutdown’s fourth week, and Trump signaled he’d communicate with Schumer and Jeffries — solely after the federal government is reopened.
“The federal government needs to be open,” he stated. “You understand how lengthy it’ll take for them to do this? Simply say, ‘OK, authorities is open.’ That is it. There may be nothing — They’re not negotiating.”
“What they’re doing is saying they misplaced the negotiation,” Trump continued. “And once we bought the nice ‘huge lovely [bill]’ finished, they misplaced the negotiation. Now they’re saying, ‘Effectively, we need to get a few of the issues we misplaced.’ However the issue is the issues they misplaced are very dangerous for our nation.”
Congressional Democrats’ preliminary calls for, made in a counter-proposal to the Home-passed persevering with decision (CR), referred to as for a everlasting extension to the improved Obamacare premium tax credit and guardrails on Trump’s skill to claw again congressionally accredited funding, amongst different issues.
SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON
Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., left, and Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pictured on the US Capitol in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs)
A White Home official doubled down on Trump’s place and advised Fox Information Digital, “We won’t have coverage conversations whereas the Democrats are holding the American individuals hostage. Reopen the federal government.”
Whereas Democrats want extra than simply an extension to the COVID-19-era subsidy, they’ve made their major argument all concerning the tax credit.
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Thune provided Senate Democrats a vote on the subsidies, however up to now they’ve declined to take the leap and as a substitute are holding out for a assured consequence within the shutdown battle. Nevertheless, that’s unlikely to come back as Republicans and the White Home, up to now, are equally dug in in opposition to Schumer’s calls for.
“I feel [Trump] desires the Democrats to take ‘sure’ for a solution,” Thune stated. “We have provided them a variety of the issues they have been asking for — a standard appropriations course of, a possibility to get a vote on a few of the issues that they need to see voted on, with respect to the expiring Obamacare enhanced subsidies. However that may’t occur till we open up the federal government.”
