The Senate on Wednesday — the primary day of a government shutdown — as soon as once more didn’t cross payments aimed toward funding the federal government as congressional leaders proceed to commerce blame for the shutdown.
Negotiations seem like underway, and Friday is the following alternative for the Senate to vote on authorities funding — leaving many People to marvel what’s subsequent with the shutdown.
The Senate held two votes on funding payments that mirrored the failed votes they took on Tuesday, leading to a authorities shutdown that took impact at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Each failed — ensuing within the authorities shutdown persevering with.
A closed signal stands in entrance of the Nationwide Archives on the primary day of a authorities shutdown, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
What’s subsequent?
After the failing of the payments Wednesday morning, the Senate took votes on different issues then adjourned for Yom Kippur.
The following votes are Friday, when the Senate is to take up the identical Democratic and Republican proposals that didn’t cross Tuesday night time and Wednesday.
Bipartisan path ahead?
Throughout Wednesday’s vote on whether or not to advance a seven-week stopgap funding invoice, a big bipartisan huddle of senators gathered. The group included plenty of carefully watched moderates together with Sens. Gary Peters, Jacky Rosen, Raphael Warnock, Ruben Gallego, Ben Ray Lujan and extra.
Lawmakers who left that huddle instructed ABC Information that the conversations they had been having had been preliminary. However it’s clear a bipartisan group is coming collectively that’s on the lookout for some kind of shutdown off ramp.
“The Democrats who you noticed there are looking for religion solution to transfer ahead, get the ACA tax credit that we would like, and in addition a number of the appropriations that they’re asking for,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, who was a part of the group, instructed reporters.
One of many prospects being floated among the many group embrace making an attempt to cross a shorter-term authorities funding invoice to permit some further respiration room for negotiations on the Inexpensive Care Act tax credit score extensions that Democrats say they need, based on sources.
Sen. Mike Rounds, who seemed to be among the many key GOP negotiators within the huddle, stated Republicans are attempting to persuade a gaggle of Democrats that opening the federal government again up would create one of the best avenue to proceed negotiations on well being care.
“We’re making an attempt to persuade them that is the appropriate factor to do: discover the trail ahead, get the ten votes or extra to maneuver ahead with this, after which let’s go proper to work on fixing the problems that they had been involved about,” Rounds stated.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal stated that there’s “plenty of bipartisan hope” that the shutdown could be as “brief and costless as potential” — including that negotiations could be ongoing.
“There are actual and vital glimmers of hope that we might have a gathering of the minds,” Blumenthal stated.
Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, who has been main Senate Democrats of their blockade in opposition to a brief time period funding invoice except well being care wants or met, was not within the huddle. However he appeared inspired by it.
Senate Majority Chief John Thune instructed reporters on Wednesday that he was conscious of the bipartisan huddle and that he’s additionally engaged in discussions with members of either side to give you an answer to fund the federal government.
Wednesday’s votes
The primary vote that failed within the Senate was, as soon as once more, a procedural vote on the Democrats’ authorities funding proposal that features the well being care provisions they have been in search of. It failed by a vote of 47-53. As was the case on Tuesday night time, each Democrat voted for it and each Republican voted in opposition to it.
The second vote within the sequence was a procedural vote on the clear, Home-backed Republican stop-gap funding invoice that failed Tuesday night time. Democrats continued to carry the road throughout Wednesday’s vote, main it to fail with a vote of 55-45.
Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and John Fetterman, in addition to impartial Angus King, voted — as that they had Tuesday — with Republicans to advance the GOP funding answer. However no further Democrats broke ranks through the vote sequence. Republican Sen. Rand Paul voted no, so Republicans would have wanted to choose up no less than 5 extra Democrats to advance this invoice, which wanted 60 votes to cross.
Thune stated that Republicans are on the hunt for these few further Democrats to help their clear, brief time period funding invoice.
Senate leaders place blame on opposing celebration
In flooring remarks forward of the Wednesday votes, each leaders opened by blaming the opposite celebration.
“Right here we’re, Democrats have bowed to the far left and so they’ve shut down the federal authorities,” Thune stated on the ground. “As of this morning essential federal workers together with members of the army, border patrol brokers and air visitors controllers are working with out pay and plenty of authorities providers are unavailable or in danger.”
Schumer, in the meantime, stated “Donald Trump and Republicans have barreled us right into a shutdown as a result of they refuse to guard America’s well being care.”
Schumer, in his speech, stated Republicans will not have the ability to “bully” Democrats into stepping down from their calls for that well being care be addressed as a part of authorities funding.
At a press convention Wednesday morning, Thune stated Democrats “have taken the American folks hostage in a method that they suppose advantages them politically, on the consequence of the price of what is going on to occur to the American households if this authorities shutdown continues.”
Senate Majority Chief John Thune speaks throughout a information convention with Republican Congressional management exterior the US Capitol on the primary day of the US authorities shutdown in Washington, October 1, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP by way of Getty Photos
Speaker Mike Johnson slammed Democrats through the Wednesday morning press convention.
“Each single little bit of this was totally avoidable,” Johnson stated, including that Democrats ought to cross the clear CR as they did within the Home.
“Democrats in Congress have dragged our nation into one other reckless shutdown to fulfill their far-left base,” Johnson stated. “Whether or not or not the federal government stays open or reopens is totally as much as them.”
Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson speaks at a information convention with Republican Congressional management exterior the US Capitol on the primary day of the US authorities shutdown in Washington, October 1, 2025.
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Democrats hit again throughout a press convention of their very own Wednesday morning.
“Republicans management the Senate, the Home and the White Home. They want Democratic votes to fund the federal government, so it is on them to speak with us,” Home Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Pete Aguilar stated.
Home Democratic Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar and Rep. Ted Lieu speak to reporters following a caucus assembly on the U.S. Capitol Guests Middle, October 1, 2025 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
On Tuesday, Schumer urged Republicans to return to the negotiating desk.
“So, we need to sit down and negotiate, however the Republicans cannot do it of their partisan method, the place they simply say ‘It is our method or the freeway,’” Schumer reiterated at a information convention following Senate votes Tuesday night time.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer speaks to the members of the media throughout a press convention, following Senate Democrats weekly coverage lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 30, 2025.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos
Schumer rehashed the failed votes on the Senate flooring — inserting the blame on Republicans who “have didn’t get sufficient votes to keep away from a shutdown.”
ABC Information’ Lauren Peller and Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.
