Every instance when Senate Democrats chose to maintain the government shutdown

Government Shutdown Continues Amidst Political Stalemate

As the government shutdown stretches into nearly a month, Senate Democrats have declined to reopen it despite multiple attempts. Frustratingly, they are pointing fingers at Republicans for the ongoing impasse.

With Republicans holding the majority in both the House and the Senate, you’d think a resolution might come easier. However, the Senate operates differently—it requires 60 votes to pass a continuing resolution instead of a simple majority. Although Republicans have 53 seats, they must garner support from at least seven Democrats to move forward.

It’s worth noting that Senate Democrats have essentially voted numerous times to keep withholding pay from federal employees and deny vital benefits to Americans.

That’s really easier said than done. When the Senate addressed the Republicans’ clean continuing resolution on September 30, only three Democrats chose to break ranks in an effort to keep the government funded. Those were Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada, and Sen. Angus King from Maine.

Interestingly, Cortez Masto and King had initially opposed the bill on September 19 but changed their stance right before the funding deadline. Meanwhile, Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky has surprisingly voted in favor of some Democratic proposals consistently.

Consequently, the government has been in a shutdown state since midnight on October 1st.

While Republicans present a clean and straightforward funding bill, the Democrats are advocating for a bipartisan alternate proposal that carries a hefty $1.5 trillion price tag. They are also seeking to rework certain Obamacare subsidies, even though those aren’t set to expire until the year’s end.

Now, after 28 days of the shutdown, it’s interesting to see how many times Democrats chose to keep the government closed while federal workers lacked pay and Americans missed out on essential benefits. The following illustrates how often Democrats voted to keep the government shut.

Friday, September 19, 2025 Roll Call Number 528 (44-48)

Tuesday, September 30, 2025 Roll Call Number 535 (55-45)

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Roll Call Number 537 (55-45)

Friday, October 3, 2025 Roll Call Number 543 (54-44)

Monday, October 6, 2025 Roll Call Number 545 (52-42)

Wednesday, October 8, 2025 Roll Call Number 551 (54-45)

Thursday, October 9, 2025 Roll Call Number 558 (54-45)

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 Roll Call Number 571 (49-45)

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Roll Call Number 572 (51-44)

Thursday, October 16, 2025 Roll Call Number 573 (51-45)

Monday, October 20, 2025 Roll Call Number 576 (50-43)

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 Roll Call Number 581 (54-46)

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 Roll Call Number 590 (54-45)

The Democratic voting pattern has not altered since the shutdown began, which is quite revealing. It’s possible that the dynamics in the Senate room influence how votes are swayed. The ongoing uncertainty raises questions about the effectiveness of their strategies moving forward.