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The U.S. government is on the brink of a shutdown after the Senate failed to pass a Republican-backed short-term funding bill on Tuesday evening. The measure, which sought to keep federal operations running for seven weeks, fell short in a 55–45 vote, missing the 60-vote threshold required to advance.
This marks the second time the GOP proposal has collapsed in the Senate, having first failed in mid-September. Despite being approved by the House of Representatives last month, the bill met strong resistance from Democrats. Only three broke ranks—Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Independent Angus King of Maine sided with Republicans. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole Republican to vote against the measure.
Without new funding, federal agencies will begin shutting down from midnight Tuesday (0400 GMT), halting all but essential services. This could disrupt a wide range of government functions, including federal worker pay, public services, and key reports such as Friday’s nonfarm payrolls data, which is now expected to be delayed.
Earlier Tuesday, a Democrat-supported spending bill was also rejected in the Senate, deepening the stalemate. The core of the political impasse lies in disagreements over healthcare and insurance subsidies. Democrats insist on including healthcare provisions in the funding package, while Republicans argue those issues should be handled separately.
Adding to tensions, President Donald Trump warned before the vote that more federal employees could face termination if the shutdown occurs. Historically, Congress has allowed government funding to lapse 15 times since 1981. The most severe shutdown lasted 35 days between late 2018 and early 2019, costing the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion in lost GDP.
Senate Republican leader John Thune signaled that lawmakers may revisit the House-passed spending bill later this week. However, with deep partisan divides, the duration of the looming shutdown remains uncertain.
