Senate Republicans are increasing pressure on Democrats regarding the government shutdown, claiming that Democrats are worsening the situation for military families by blocking votes on alternative proposals to reopen the government.
On Tuesday evening, the Senate voted 49-45 against a House Republican bill intended to restart government operations. Only two Democrats—Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada and Sen. Angus King from Maine—voted in favor, while Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania missed the vote.
Though no Democrats altered their prior positions, there was a notable change in their voting strategy.
This week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has made it more challenging for Democrats to schedule votes on funding alternatives. As the shutdown goes into its third week, he has opted to hold only a single vote to reopen the government, effectively denying Democrats an opportunity to vote on their own funding proposals—historically a move that serves to protect vulnerable lawmakers in competitive states.
On Tuesday, Thune and other Republican leaders accused Democrats of neglecting military families, particularly with the critical payday for over a million service members approaching on October 15. This group is significant for both parties in the state.
Thune criticized Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York for prioritizing partisan politics over the needs of military families.
He stated, “Democrats won’t be content until military families and government workers are forced to visit food banks or rely on credit cards for essentials like groceries.”
Thune also pointed out that “law enforcement officers” are working without pay during this crisis.
New York has more than 28,000 active-duty military members, over 9,000 active-duty spouses, and more than 14,000 active-duty children, especially around Fort Drum, which drives significant economic activity in upstate New York.
This strategy particularly targets Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who is viewed as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat in the upcoming 2026 elections. His state houses Fort Benning, which serves over 12,000 active military personnel along with thousands of trainees and families.
Ossoff has previously voted for Democratic plans to fund the government through October 31 and extend expanded health insurance premium subsidies set to expire at the year’s end, which offers him some political leeway to oppose the House’s short-term funding measures.
Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming shared a Military Times headline on the Senate floor, highlighting how military families are seeking food assistance due to the ongoing shutdown.
He remarked that these families are “lining up at food banks.”
In response, Ossoff told The Hill that House Republicans, having left Washington in September, bear responsibility for the shutdown.
Thune’s establishment of a vote on the House’s continuing resolution involved delaying the Senate’s annual defense authorization bill, which includes pay raises for military personnel. This was seen as a tactic to reinforce the notion that Republicans prioritize national defense while Democrats risk extending the shutdown to negotiate on other budgetary issues.
A Republican senator, speaking anonymously about the strategy, noted an “increasing unease” among centrist Democrats regarding the prolongation of the shutdown and the lack of an exit strategy.
The intent behind making Democrats vote solely on the House-passed funding bill is to present it as a stark choice: reopen the government or keep it closed, directly impacting military pay.
Democrats do have a chance to vote on a procedural motion for their own funding plan, but Thune has restricted their voting options moving forward.
Democratic aides dismissed the Republican strategy as ineffective, highlighting that Ossoff and other senators had already voted multiple times to advance their alternative proposals, arguing that further votes won’t yield significant political advantages.
Another focus of the Republican campaign is Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who may face reelection next year amid a backdrop of military presence at Naval Station Norfolk, a major naval base.
President Trump weighed in on the matter, directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “utilize all available funds to ensure our troops are paid” on October 15, regardless of the shutdown.
Some Democrats quickly raised legal concerns regarding Trump’s authority to redirect Congressional funds to guarantee military pay.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) suggested Trump’s directive might not hold legal ground, stating that legislative action is required to ensure military salaries during a shutdown, especially since House Republican leadership decided not to return to session.
However, Republican leaders assert that any Democratic attempt to obstruct military funding would politically backfire.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) challenged Democrats to contest Trump’s order aimed at supporting military families and personnel, indicating, “If Democrats want to challenge the pay of soldiers in court, let them do it.”
