Senate vote fails again as shutdown becomes one of longest in US history | 2025 US Federal Government Shutdown
One of the longest government shutdowns in US history has become even longer after the Senate again failed to pass a funding resolution after a majority of Democrats continued a pressure campaign following the weekend’s nationwide “No Kings” protests.
The Senate vote declined for the 11th time, by 50 votes to 43, without any new critics from the Democratic side.
House Speaker Mike Johnson kept the chamber closed for weeks for a long recess, and defended his strategy as necessary to push Senate Democrats to pass the House’s continuing resolution without political additions. But Democrats refused to support the measure without provisions addressing health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Surrounded by other Republican leaders in Congress, including Andy Harris, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Johnson said at a news conference Monday morning that the reason for the shutdown was to appease Democratic voters, particularly blaming the “No Kings” marches.
“This is exactly why we’re appeasing Chuck Schumer, in this whole charade,” Johnson said. “We’ve made it clear from the beginning that the shutdown is about one thing and one thing only: Chuck Schumer’s political survival.”
The stuffed vote also came after the top Republican lawmaker, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, on Monday morning criticized Johnson’s strategy, calling for the House to return to session immediately.
“The House should be in session,” Green said Written on X. “We must finalize appropriations. Our committees must act. We must pass bills that make President Trump’s executive orders permanent. I do not respect the decision to refuse action.”
The appeal from Greene, aligned with her party’s right wing, represents a notable crack in support for Johnson’s GOP hardline approach to a long congressional recess. Since September 19, when members last cast their votes, the council has not done its legislative work, although members have held press conferences.
The shutdown, which began on October 1, became the longest full government shutdown in U.S. history, and the third-longest when including partial shutdowns. If it extends beyond Tuesday, it will surpass the 21-day shutdown in 1995-96 to take second place. Only the partial 35-day shutdown during Donald Trump’s first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, lasted longer.
The impact of the shutdown became more severe Monday as the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration began furloughing about 1,400 federal employees responsible for maintaining and modernizing the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. A spokesman for US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he was scheduled to speak about the furloughs at a news conference in Las Vegas later on Monday.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett predicted on Monday, citing “friends in the Senate,” that the impasse could soon break.
“I think so [Senate minority leader Chuck] “The Schumer shutdown will likely end sometime this week,” Hassett said in an interview with CNBC, reasoning that some Democrats were reluctant to reopen the government before last Saturday’s “No Kings” protests against Trump, which attracted millions of demonstrators across the country to rebuke corruption and tyranny.