Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaking to reporters on February 11, 2025 (Joshua Sukoff/Shutterstock.com)
After a 217-212 vote in the House Friday passing a short-term spending bill that will extend government funding for seven weeks, avoiding a partial government shutdown on October 1, prospects for the two parties to come together in the Senate are dim, according to the AP.
Ryan Clancy, chief strategist for the centrist Third Way group, said in August that a shutdown in October would be inevitable due to a "perfect storm" of conditions.
The bill passed Friday is said to continue existing funding levels until November 21, but, says the AP, "are threatening a government shutdown if Republicans don’t let them have a say on the measure."
Republicans see this as an opportunity yet again to blame Democrats if a shutdown does occur.
President Donald Trump encouraged this strategy of putting the onus on Democrats, saying on Truth Social, "Every House Republican should UNIFY, and VOTE YES!”
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) threw it back at the GOP, saying, that the Democrats' opposition to the continuing resolution is to protect Americans' healthcare, and that with the Republican trifecta on control of the White House, Congress and Senate, “Republicans will own a government shutdown. Period. Full stop.”
In the Senate, however, neither the existing resolution or Democratic proposal, which would extend enhanced health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year and reverse Medicaid cuts that were included in the GOP tax and spending bill enacted earlier this year, are expected to garner the necessary 60 votes.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) threatens a shutdown if there are no concessions made on the bill and most Democrats in the Senate support that, according to the AP.
“Look, the president said really boldly, don’t even talk to Democrats. Unless he’s forgotten that you need a supermajority to pass a budget in the Senate, that’s obviously his signal he wants a shutdown,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
Some Democrats are more optimistic.
"Hopefully if we are not able to pass something today, saner heads will prevail," Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) told MSNBC Friday.