US shutdown extended as Democrats stall progress once more
Senators unable to pass a bill to end the government shutdown (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Political gridlock between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate has led to a new phase of paralysis in the work of federal agencies, according to Politico.
During a vote on the evening of Monday, October 20, senators supported the bill with 50 votes in favor and 43 against.
The bill, previously approved by the House of Representatives, proposed funding the government through November 21. However, at least 60 votes were required for passage, so opposition from Democrats once again blocked its approval.
The Republican Party leadership and the White House had hoped that the government shutdown would soon come to an end, especially after the nationwide “No Kings” protests held on October 18.
However, Democrats have repeatedly denied any link between their stance on the shutdown and the demonstrations. At this stage, there are no signs of rapprochement or potential compromise between the parties.
According to Politico, the prolonged shutdown has also stalled bipartisan negotiations on other key issues. In particular, a group of senators had been discussing the extension of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which are set to expire at the end of the year, but those talks have also reached a deadlock.
Later this week, Republicans plan to put forward a bill that would allow the payment of wages to certain categories of federal employees and military personnel during the shutdown. Democrats are expected to block this initiative as well.
The opposition argues that the measure could give President Donald Trump and White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought the ability to selectively pay only loyal employees while sending others on unpaid leave.
US government shutdown
In the US, the government has been partially shut down since October 1 due to the lack of approved funding for federal agencies for the upcoming fiscal period.
The shutdown has now lasted 20 days and is expected to surpass the 21-day shutdown of 1995–1996, becoming the second longest in the country’s history.
The longest government shutdown occurred in 2018–2019 and lasted 35 days. However, the current one could potentially break that record.
Daily economic losses from the suspension of government operations are estimated at $15 billion.
The Senate has repeatedly attempted to pass bills that could end the shutdown.
Losses from the US government shutdown are reaching about $15 billion per day.
