Senate fails for eleventh time attempt to lift government shutdown
The Senate voted for the eleventh time on the Republican proposal to open the federal government until next month, but it did not get enough support
The Senate failed for the eleventh time in a row on Monday to pass a stopgap funding bill to end the government shutdown. The bill has failed to reach the 60 votes needed to advance on any floor since the shutdown began 20 days ago, and there are no signs that momentum will change anytime soon.
The vote on the Republican-sponsored proposal was 50 to 43, falling 10 short of the 60 needed to pass.
With the shutdown extended, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is expected to introduce a bill this week that would pay federal employees and military personnel who continued working during the funding lapse.
Monday’s legislative session was marked by the absence of seven senators, and the stalemate continues as Democrats demand the inclusion of an extension of Obamacare subsidies, which Republicans oppose, claiming, without evidence, that the program benefits undocumented immigrants.
Two Democratic senators voted with the majority of the Republicans: Catherine Cortez Masto and Angus King, an independent senator who caucuses with the Democratic caucus.
Democratic Senator John Fetterman, who previously voted with the Republicans, did not vote on Monday.
The 20-day government shutdown has affected more than 1.3 million state employees who are working without pay or are suspended. In addition, the administration of President Donald Trump has laid off more than 4,000 employees from various agencies and the case is being resolved in the courts.
Despite the context, Donald Trump's economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, gave signals on Monday that the government shutdown in the US could end in the coming days and warned that the White House would take strong measures against Democrats who do not cooperate in the approval of new funds in Congress.
Senators will meet again Tuesday for another vote to end the government shutdown, which threatens to become the second-longest in history this week if it surpasses the 21-day shutdown that ran from December 1995 to January 1996 during the Clinton administration.

