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The 2025 US government shutdown reached its 29th day on October 29, with top congressional leaders showing little progress or momentum toward ending the stalemate. A bill to end the shutdown and fund the government, called the continuing resolution, has now failed to pass the senate 13 times, with Democrats voting against the measure. Republicans have repeatedly sought to pin the blame for the government shutdown on Democrats, accusing them of “holding the country hostage.” Democrats, however, insist they won’t relent until Republicans agree on a bill to extend expiring tax credits that lower health insurance costs for millions of Americans, and reverse President Trump’s cuts to Medicaid, the government health program serving millions of elderly, disabled, and low-income citizens. A stopgap bill designed to avoid the shutdown was passed in the House, or lower chamber, but did not clear the Senate. Where Things Stand? US House The US House of Representatives has been out of session for more than a month, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R) has shown no willingness to reopen the lower chamber. He argues that the House has done its job in passing the funding bill and its now upto the Senate to do the same to end the shutdown. Assuming the Senate passes a new funding bill, the House will need to come into session and pass that bill to end the shutdown. US Senate The US Senate has become the central, and largely stalled, battleground in the ongoing government shutdown, now stretching into its 29th day. Democrats have remained firm, rejecting the House-passed funding bill 13 times, as negotiations show few signs of real progress. Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered a cautiously optimistic note on Wednesday, telling reporters that bipartisan talks have “ticked up significantly,” suggesting they could be a “precursor of things to come.” He added that there’s now a “higher level of conversation” among rank-and-file senators, even as he dismissed Democratic leaders as being “out of the equation” with “no room to maneuver.” Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged some cross-party discussions but downplayed Thune’s remarks. “There are occasional talks between Democrats and Republicans on this issue,” Schumer said, “but our Republican colleagues don’t seem to be offering anything different from their leadership’s position so far. We hope that will change.” What's At Stake? Thousands of government workers have been furloughed (placed on temporary leave) as a result of this shutdown. Now, the next big concern is the imminent lapse in SNAP and food stamp benefits on November 1 that will impact more than 40 million low-income Americans. Where Is Donald Trump? President Trump is currently on his Asia tour, and even during his time in Washington, he largely avoided engaging with the specifics of the government shutdown, an uncharacteristic move for the president. Despite repeated calls from Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries to meet and negotiate a deal, Trump has so far ignored their requests and remained on the sidelines. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.
