The US Senate on Thursday failed once again to advance a Republican-led proposal to extend government funding and end the ongoing shutdown, marking the tenth unsuccessful attempt since the impasse began more than two weeks ago.
The latest vote was 51 to 45, falling short of the 60 votes required to move forward.
No new Democratic senators crossed party lines to support the measure, underscoring the deep partisan divide that has kept federal funding stalled and government operations partially frozen for 16 days.
The chamber adjourned shortly after the vote, with lawmakers not set to reconvene until 20th October at 3 p.m., ensuring the shutdown will extend at least through the weekend.
Republican funding bill fails to clear senate
The failed motion marks another setback for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who has sought to pressure Democrats to back a short-term funding extension while negotiations continue over a broader spending deal.
The measure, passed earlier by the House, would have temporarily funded the government through November 21.
However, Democrats have maintained opposition to the bill, arguing it fails to address their core policy priorities, including an extension of healthcare tax credits.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that Democrats had not received any formal proposal addressing their concerns and emphasized that his party was “not negotiating in public.”
Thune, meanwhile, expressed frustration following the failed vote, noting that he had offered Democrats a guaranteed vote on a one-year extension of the tax credits but could not ensure passage.
Defense spending bill also stalls
In a separate vote Thursday, the Senate also failed to advance a long-term appropriations bill to fund the Pentagon — an effort that Thune hoped would serve as a potential pathway to reopen portions of the government during the broader shutdown.
The Pentagon funding measure fell short in a 50–44 vote, with only three Democrats — Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), John Fetterman (Pa.), and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.) — joining Republicans in support.
Thune himself voted against the measure as a procedural move to allow him to revive the effort at a later date.
The failure effectively stalls his plan to attach other spending bills to the defense measure in an attempt to gradually restart government funding.
The outcome drew visible frustration from Thune on the Senate floor, who criticized Democrats for blocking what he described as a bipartisan step toward restoring essential government operations, particularly defense-related programs.
Shutdown set to continue through next week
With the Senate adjourned until Monday, the shutdown is now expected to last at least through October 20, barring any last-minute negotiations over the weekend.
The protracted impasse is the longest since the 2018–2019 shutdown, which lasted 35 days, and has raised concerns among economists and investors about potential short-term disruptions to government services and spending.
The deadlock has also exposed divisions within both parties over fiscal priorities and strategy.
For now, efforts to advance either a stopgap measure or individual agency funding bills remain stalled — leaving federal workers, contractors, and markets in continued uncertainty as Washington’s budget stalemate drags on.
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