On Friday, four lawmakers backed the party during votes on a Republican suspension bill, which ultimately funded the government. The bill made its way through the House, but faced obstacles in the Senate due to Democratic resistance.
In the House, Representatives Thomas Massey (R-Ky.) and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) cast the only Republican dissenting votes, while Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine) was the lone Democrat in support of the legislation.
Over in the Senate, Senator John Fetterman (D-Penn) also broke party lines, voting in favor of the continuing resolution (CR).
Republicans Rand Paul (Ky.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) chose to abstain from voting on the House bill.
Both Massey and Spartz had expressed their opposition to the measure earlier in the week, and the House eventually passed it with a narrow margin of 217-212.
Massey remarked, “Unless I cut my spending, I’m a ‘no’ vote, but I’m not expecting that.” Meanwhile, Spartz criticized the timing of the CR, suggesting that lawmakers will feel pressured to push through a significant spending bill before the holidays.
She stated, “Thanksgiving CR – No. I’m willing to support the CR when it causes the least damage to the Republic, but I can’t back funding right before a major holiday that could undermine us with an omnibus.”
Fetterman and Golden, known for their moderate stances, prioritized avoiding a government shutdown over the bill’s specific issues.
Golden expressed support for the StopGup, calling it a way to “keep the lights on” and allowing more time to set policies and funding levels for the future.
Fetterman echoed similar sentiments, adding that the Democratic version of the CR, which aimed to extend ObamaCare tax credits and restore Medicaid cuts, has been “seriously compromised.”
He mentioned, “My vote for the GOP CR, despite my refusal to back healthcare restoration, comes from not wanting to contribute to a government shutdown and the ensuing national chaos.”
Murkowski sided with Democrats, advocating for the reversal of Medicaid cuts, while Paul critiqued the ongoing fiscal levels.
The bill ultimately failed in the Senate, with a vote tally of 44-48, as Democrats hoped to shift blame for possible shutdowns in their healthcare conflicts.
With just 11 days left to secure government funding, President Trump predicted a government shutdown “for a certain period” due to the ongoing congressional stalemate.
He stated, “We’ll keep talking to Democrats, but for now, it looks like we may end up with a closed country.” He further assured that military and social security obligations would be met, adding, “Many of the Democrats’ issues… aren’t funded, so we’re assessing how to proceed.”
