A long weekend away from Washington, D.C., did not shift the determination of Senate Democrats, who blocked another attempt to reopen the government for the eighth time on Tuesday.
Despite mass layoffs promised by the Trump administration and OMB Director Russ Vought over the weekend, Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, remained unmoved.
However, President Trump provided some relief by directing the Pentagon to reallocate funds to ensure military personnel are paid in time. Their payday is set for October 15th.
On the other hand, Senate staffers are looking at October 20th for their next payday.
Senate set to hold new vote to end government shutdown, but stalemate over Obamacare subsidies remains
Both sides find themselves where they started at the beginning of the shutdown earlier this month. Ongoing discussions between opposing factions have yet to yield any agreement.
Senate Democrats are pushing to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies beyond the November 1 open enrollment deadline, citing that those who rely on ACA tax credits may face rising premiums without congressional intervention.
Nevertheless, President Trump seems reluctant to meet Senate Democrats halfway, reiterating Republican claims that they aim to reverse the $1.5 trillion spending cuts in the “big, beautiful bill” and also defund NPR and PBS, which assist undocumented immigrants.
Trump commented, “I don’t want to bore you with the fact that Mr. Schumer has said 100 times, ‘We should never shut down the government.’ But Schumer is a weakened politician, and he’ll end his career as a failed politician because he let the radical left take over the Democratic Party.”
Schumer’s shutdown scheme explained: Democrats double Obamacare credits as stalemate drags on
Senate Republicans have shown a willingness to discuss a deal regarding the subsidies; they claim reforms could come after the government reopens. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is set on persistently bringing House Republicans’ short-term continuing resolutions to the floor.
Thune remarked, “Democrats like to whine that Republicans aren’t negotiating, Mr. President, but negotiating is what happens when both sides have demands to meet in the middle. It’s notable that Republicans haven’t made any demands; only the Democrats have, and they’re quite expensive.”
Schumer countered on the Senate floor that each time Thune brings up a Republican proposal, it fails.
“Which means, like it or not,” he stated, “Republican leadership needs to collaborate with Democrats in a bipartisan way to regain power, as we did while passing 13 CRs when I was majority leader.”
The ongoing reduced force efforts and the looming uncertainty that many furloughed federal workers might not receive their payback after the shutdown are not convincing Senate Democrats to budge.
The same three Senate Democrats—John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania), Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada), and Angus King (Maine)—have rallied behind Schumer’s leadership.
With no agreement in sight, the government falls further into a shutdown crisis.
“Donald Trump, come to the negotiating table,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) urged during a rally outside OMB, adding “Lower costs and prices, and stop harming and terrorizing federal employees and the American public.”
As the shutdown continues, most activity at the Capitol has slowed significantly; the House of Representatives hasn’t met in over three weeks. Yet, the Senate is moving forward with other legislation including the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 and key bills related to Trump’s nominations. Last week, Thune even hinted at a possible defense spending bill being on the table soon.
This latest failure arises on day 14 of the shutdown, which likely means it will persist for at least three weeks.
Moreover, this closure in particular falls into historical territory.
The longest shutdown on record, from late 2018 to early 2019, occurred during Trump’s first term but was a partial shutdown. At that time, several spending bills were already passed, including funds for defense and the Legislature.
The longest complete shutdown happened more than 20 years ago, from late 1995 to early 1996, under President Bill Clinton, lasting 21 days due to a budget disagreement with then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
This situation led to two shutdowns within the same fiscal year: one in November and the second that reached the record duration of 21 days.
