Authorities shutdown hits Day 22 as Senate Democrats block reopening a twelfth time

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The government shutdown meandered into its twenty second day ad infinitum after a twelfth GOP try and reopen the federal government was stalled after which blocked by Senate Democrats on Wednesday night.

Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., and his caucus kneecapped Republicans’ bid to reopen the federal government for the twelfth time. The newest failed vote comes as Schumer has demanded one other assembly with President Donald Trump and on the heels of an nearly 24-hour filibuster by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore, that pushed the vote late into Wednesday.

Throughout his marathon ground speech, which started at 6:23 pm on Tuesday, Merkley spoke on authoritarianism — what he known as the Trump Administration's overreach on immigration, separation of powers, and extra.

"Republicans have shut down the federal government to proceed the technique of slashing People' healthcare," Merkley mentioned, referring to the healthcare-centered debate holding up consideration of the federal government's funding.

He concluded his remarks at 5:00 p.m. on Wed.

Little has modified within the higher chamber because the shutdown started. Schumer and the Senate Democratic caucus demand that there be an actual, ironclad deal to increase expiring Obamacare subsidies , whereas Senate Republicans stay adamant that there is no such thing as a path ahead out there on the matter till the federal government is reopened.

SCHUMER REQUESTS MEETING WITH TRUMP 'ANY TIME, ANY PLACE' AS DEMOCRAT STALEMATE DRAGS ON

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/10/672/378/senate-minority-leader-chuck-schumer-leaving-presser.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/10/1344/756/senate-minority-leader-chuck-schumer-leaving-presser.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/10/931/523/senate-minority-leader-chuck-schumer-leaving-presser.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/10/1862/1046/senate-minority-leader-chuck-schumer-leaving-presser.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., steps away from reporters following a Democratic coverage luncheon on the U.S. Capitol Constructing in Washington, Oct. 15, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Pictures)

However what's previous is new in a repeating cycle, and Schumer desires to satisfy with Trump once more.

Schumer, talking on behalf of Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., requested one other assembly with Trump forward of the vote in a bid to go round Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., and congressional Republicans to safe a deal.

There have been casual talks — extra informal dialog than true negotiation — between Republicans and Democrats, however nothing has materialized that places lawmakers any nearer to fixing the continued stalemate.

"Hakeem and I reached out to the president at present and urged him to sit down down and negotiate with us to resolve the healthcare disaster, deal with it and finish the Trump shutdown," Schumer mentioned. "He ought to sit — the issues worsen on daily basis for the American folks. He ought to sit down with us, negotiate in a critical manner earlier than he goes away."

The final time the highest congressional Democrats met with Trump got here only a day earlier than the climactic vote to avert a shutdown. Neither aspect walked away with a compromise, or settlement, to maintain the lights on.

SENATE DEMS EMBOLDENED BY WEEKEND RALLIES BLOCK GOP PLAN TO END SHUTDOWN FOR 11TH TIME

President Donald Trump listens as Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., speaks throughout a lunch with Republican senators on the Rose Backyard patio on the White Home in Washington, Oct. 21, 2025. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Quick-forward to the shutdown’s fourth week, and Trump signaled he’d converse with Schumer and Jeffries — solely after the federal government is reopened.

"The federal government must be open," he mentioned. "You understand how lengthy it's going to take for them to do this? Simply say, ‘OK, authorities is open.’ That is it. There may be nothing — They’re not negotiating."

"What they're doing is saying they misplaced the negotiation," Trump continued. "And once we bought the nice ‘huge stunning [bill]’ carried out, they misplaced the negotiation. Now they're saying, ‘Nicely, we wish to get a number of the issues we misplaced.’ However the issue is the issues they misplaced are very unhealthy for our nation."

Congressional Democrats’ preliminary calls for, made in a counter-proposal to the Home-passed persevering with decision (CR), known as for a everlasting extension to the improved Obamacare premium tax credit and guardrails on Trump’s means to claw again congressionally accepted funding, amongst different issues.

SCHUMER'S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON

Senate Majority Chief John Thune, R-S.D., left, and Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pictured on the US Capitol in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Pictures)

A White House official doubled down on Trump’s place and advised Fox Information Digital, "We won't have coverage conversations whereas the Democrats are holding the American folks hostage. Reopen the federal government."

Whereas Democrats need extra than simply an extension to the COVID-19-era subsidy, they’ve made their main argument all in regards to the tax credit.

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Thune provided Senate Democrats a vote on the subsidies, however thus far they've declined to take the leap and as an alternative are holding out for a assured end result within the shutdown battle. Nonetheless, that's unlikely to come back as Republicans and the White Home, thus far, are equally dug in in opposition to Schumer’s calls for.

"I believe [Trump] desires the Democrats to take ‘sure’ for a solution," Thune mentioned. "We have provided them plenty of the issues they have been asking for — a traditional appropriations course of, a possibility to get a vote on a number of the issues that they wish to see voted on, with respect to the expiring Obamacare enhanced subsidies. However that may't occur till we open up the federal government."