Copyright Santa Clarita Valley Signal
By Nathan Worcester Contributing Writer WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats once again rejected a GOP-led bill to fund the government. The Tuesday vote marks the 14th attempt to pass a continuing resolution to reopen the federal government. Senators voted 54-44, falling short of the 60 votes needed for advancement. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Angus King, I-Maine, continued to vote with Republicans to OK the bill. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was again the lone Republican voting against it. The result left the shutdown just hours away from being the longest in history. By Tuesday it was tied for the longest, matching a funding lapse that occurred during President Donald Trump’s first administration. During a morning press conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., predicted the latest bid to end the shutdown would fail. “It is absolutely unforgivable,” he said of Democratic opposition to the Republican-led CR, which would effectively maintain government funding at current levels. Ahead of the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who previously said he is “optimistic” the shutdown could end this week, said: “I hope — I hope — that there are at least those five Democrats out there who will look at the pain that people are experiencing and will say, ‘Enough is enough.’” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., highlighted the start of open enrollment for health insurance. Expiring Obamacare premium tax credits — a point of contention Democrats have wanted to resolve before reopening the government — mean Americans are looking at higher premium tax credits. “The Senate deserves to see serious negotiations when it comes to health care. Republicans’ outrageous delay has cost Americans already too much,” he said. Yet, there have been some signs of momentum this week toward a resolution — including talk from Republicans of a new CR extending into either December or January. The longer timeline is generally favored by conservatives. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., sounded open to some combination of a CR and a minibus — that is, a package made up of some but not all appropriations bills. He also did not rule out the possibility of the House coming back into session on Friday. “We’re looking at what happens in the Senate,” Scalise said. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said he was “generally optimistic” about a resolution coming soon. Yet he added a note of skepticism. “I think this whole exercise has been a couple steps forward, two steps back,” he told reporters. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., who has been named as a participant in some conversations across party lines, told reporters that “rumors and the hope is” that an end is in sight — “but we’ll see.” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., another participant in those dialogues, said he could see a resolution being reached by Republicans without a White House meeting with Trump. Republicans, he said, are “sort of waiting for his green light — and they’re unsure, because he’s so unpredictable.” A third lawmaker said to be involved in negotiations, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., told reporters that “the pace of talks has increased.” “I would hope so,” he said when asked if he thinks Republicans are operating in good faith during those conversations. Peters’ apparent optimism contrasted with a more pessimistic assessment from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “I understand negotiations are ongoing, but a failed vote doesn’t solve the problem, and the problem is pretty extraordinary,” he said, in reference to increasing insurance premiums.
