The US government shutdown continues after the Senate on Thursday (16 October) rejected for the 10th time the House Republicans’ short-term funding bill aimed at reopening federal operations. The measure failed 51-45, falling short of the required 60 votes, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed and government services disrupted.
Senate Democrats have insisted they will not back down from demands that Congress address health care benefits as part of any funding deal.
The government shutdown continues
Repeated failures to pass the appropriations bill underscore the ongoing gridlock in Congress, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed and others without guaranteed pay.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune highlighted the consequences: “Every day, more and more Americans are getting paid less and less,” he said, adding that the disruption has caused thousands of flight delays across the country.
Democratic demands for health care
Democrats have made expanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies a central condition of their support for government funding. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the urgency: “The ACA crisis is looming over everyone’s head, and yet Republicans seem poised to let people’s premiums shoot up.”
Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, warned of the real impact on families: “Families are absolutely panicking about their premiums doubling. It’s small business owners who have to think about leaving a job they love to get employer-sponsored health care elsewhere, or just forgo coverage altogether.”
Murray added that across-the-board departures from health plans could increase premiums overall.
Republican Attitudes and Negotiations on Health Care
Some Republicans have expressed concern about the expiration of the ACA’s tax credits, but consensus on a solution remains limited. Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson criticized the subsidies: “When you subsidize the health care system and pay insurance companies more, prices go up.”
Senate Majority Leader Thune insisted that Democrats vote to reopen the government before health care negotiations begin, saying discussions on major changes could take weeks.
