Washington — A Republican measure to keep the government funded until Nov. 21 stumbled in the Senate after clearing the House on Friday, leaving lawmakers without a clear path forward to avoid a funding lapse at the end of the month as they leave Washington for at least a week.
The short-term funding bill passed the House in a 217 to 212 vote, with one Democrat voting in favor and two Republicans in opposition. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana voted against the bill, while Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine supported it.
But the bill failed to reach the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate, by a vote of 44 in favor to 48 opposed. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the lone Democrat who joined Republicans in supporting the bill. GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined Democrats in voting no. Senators also voted on a competing proposal from Democrats, which likewise failed.
With a 53-seat majority, Republicans need to earn the support of at least seven Democrats to resolve the funding dispute by the Oct. 1 deadline, when funding expires. Senate Democrats have said they oppose the bill because of Republicans’ unwillingness to negotiate over Democratic priorities, notably health care.
The House and Senate were both originally scheduled to be in recess until Sept. 29, but House leaders extended their break past the Oct. 1 deadline to pressure the Senate to adopt their bill. They said members should be prepared to return to Washington if the government shuts down.
President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Friday afternoon the U.S. could “very well end up with a closed country” for a while.
“We’ll continue to talk to the Democrats, but I think you could very well end up with a closed country for a period of time,” he said. “And we’ll take care of the military, we’ll take care of Social Security, we’ll take care of the things we have to take care of.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said Friday that it’s unlikely he will call senators back to Washington next week. He said Democrats’ proposal is “laden down with partisan policies” and that there would be another vote on the Republican measure once the Senate returns to Washington at the end of the month.
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“We’re prepared, when we get back, to have a vote on a bill already passed by the House, ready to be signed by the president,” Thune said. “All it takes is a handful of Democrats to join Republicans in keeping the government open and funded.”
The House GOP bill would extend current spending levels for seven weeks. The legislation also funds additional security for lawmakers in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination, to the tune of $30 million for Congress and $58 million for the executive and judicial branches. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said Friday that the House could pass additional security funding in a standalone bill next month.
Democrats proposed a counteroffer that would keep the government open for a month and provide more than $320 million in security funds. But it would also permanently extend enhanced tax credits under the Affordable Care Act that expire at the end of the year, roll back Medicaid cuts in Mr. Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and restore funding for public broadcasters that was rescinded earlier this year.
All were nonstarters with Republicans, who said those provisions do not belong in a short-term funding bill.
“This is what my friends on the other side asked for — a clean bill. No partisan riders, no tricks, no things. And give it to us for a short period,” said Rep. Tom Cole, an Oklahoma Republican. “You got exactly what you asked for.”
Though Democrats typically support measures to keep the government funded, the party is under intense pressure to stand up to Republicans and the White House. During the last funding fight in March, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer allowed Republicans to move ahead with their spending bill, a move that earned him severe criticism by members of his own party. Many Democrats argued it would have been better to allow the government to shut down than to go along with Republicans.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, told Punchbowl News on Thursday that he believes that Republicans would bear the brunt of the blame for a shutdown this time around, and that Democrats’ position is “quite strong.” He struck a defiant tone on the Senate floor after the House bill passed.
“When we were in the majority for four years, there was not a shutdown. Not one. Why? Because we did what you’re supposed to do: talk in a bipartisan negotiation and each side has input. The reason we’re having a shutdown now is you and your leadership refuse to talk to Democrats and have any input, and want only your imprimatur on the bill, which we believe hurts Americans badly with health care,” Schumer said, addressing Republicans.
Democratic leaders have urged their Republican counterparts to negotiate with them on a funding plan. But Thune and Johnson suggested there’s no need, since Democrats regularly support “clean” continuing resolutions to keep the government funded.
Asked after the House vote if he was open to negotiating with Democratic leaders in the event of a shutdown, Johnson said “heck no,” as long as Democrats are dug in on their funding demands.
“We could have turned this into a partisan measure, and we chose not to do that,” Johnson said. “The ball is in Chuck Schumer’s court.”
Schumer said later Friday, “Now that it’s clear that neither bill will get the 60 votes that the Senate needs, it’s time to negotiate.”
“But Republicans have now left town with no sign they want to avoid a shutdown in a week,” he said. “They left town.”
contributed to this report.