Less than 24 hours into the government shutdown, Democrats have once again slammed the brakes on efforts to reopen the government. On Wednesday, Chuck Schumer and the Senate Democrats voted down the GOP’s continuing resolution for the third time, blocking it by a 53-45 margin.
Republican hopes that a few Democrats would cross party lines proved premature, as the party seems unified in holding out for its radical policy wish list, which includes government-funded health care for illegal immigrants.
Still, Republicans are playing the long game. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he would keep bringing the same measure to the floor until Democrats relent. The Senate is scheduled to adjourn Thursday for Yom Kippur, but lawmakers will reconvene Friday to resume the standoff. Thune needs 60 votes to overcome the Senate’s filibuster rule: a tall order, but one that puts the responsibility squarely on Democrats, who continue to prioritize their political agenda over keeping the government open.
🚨Senate Dems Block Procedural GOP Effort to Re-open Government. pic.twitter.com/nDawyVEj5I
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 1, 2025
According to Fox News Digital, “There were glimmers of hope on Tuesday that more Democrats would break ranks and vote for the bill when Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, joined Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., to vote for the bill. However, that trio remained the only members of the Democratic caucus that crossed the aisle on Wednesday.”
"We are just one Senate roll call vote away from ending the shutdown," Thune said. "We need a handful of Democrats to join Republicans to reopen the government. And once we do that, then we can talk about the issues that Democrats are raising. But we're not going to engage in bipartisan discussions while Democrats are holding the federal government hostage to their partisan demands."
Schumer and Senate Democrats still appear firmly entrenched in their position that they want an extension to expiring Obamacare tax credits and to be cut into negotiations on the short-term funding bill.
Schumer said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote that Democrats weren't ready to budge and blamed the shutdown on Republicans.
"Democrats want to avert this crisis, but Republicans tried to bully us, and it's clear they can't," he said. "They don't have the votes."
Congressional Republicans and the White House have accused Democrats of shutting the government down in a bid to give illegal immigrants healthcare, a point that Schumer rejected.
"That is a damn lie," he said. "Not $1 of Medicare, Medicaid or [Obamacare] is allowed to go to undocumented immigrants, not a dollar. So why do they keep saying this? This seems to be their theme, because they're afraid to talk about the real issue. It's a typical Republican response: Have a diversion, try to scare people emotionally."
However, PJ Media previously debunked the Democrats’ claim that illegal immigrants weren’t getting free taxpayer-funded healthcare.
Despite the latest vote, even MSNBC reported that Senate Democrats aren’t completely comfortable with the Schumer Shutdown.
“There are already signs some Democrats may want to cave, however,” the network reported. “While other Senate Democrats voted against the GOP’s spending bill Tuesday night, several other Democrats could quickly grow uncomfortable with their party’s strategy as the shutdown drags on.”
The Schumer Shutdown continues. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this. Help us continue to report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member