US senate fails to advance republican funding bill, extending government shutdown

The US Senate on Tuesday failed to advance a Republican-led measure aimed at ending the ongoing government shutdown, now in its 14th day.

In a 49-45 vote, senators did not reach the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and move forward with a House-passed bill that would have funded the government through November 21. The measure faced resistance from most Democrats and a few Republicans, leaving it short of the threshold required for passage.

Two members of the Democratic caucus — Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and independent Senator Angus King of Maine — broke ranks to support the bill alongside most Republicans. However, Republican Senator Rand Paul voted against it, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune also cast a “no” vote to preserve the option of reconsidering the measure later.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who had previously backed similar measures, was absent from Tuesday’s vote.

The failure to advance the bill deepened the political deadlock, with both parties blaming each other for the prolonged shutdown.

While the impasse has not yet triggered an immediate economic crisis, it has caused widespread disruption across the country. Thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or forced to work without pay, while others have been placed on mandatory leave until Congress approves a new budget. Each federal agency has implemented its own contingency plan to determine which functions and personnel are essential.