US senators have failed to pass a last-minute bill to avert a government shutdown leading to a cut in funding, leading to the first shutdown in almost seven years.
The senate Democrats, making good on their threat to close the government, rejected a legislation in a 55-45 vote to extend federal funding for seven weeks. The legislation fell short of the 60 votes needs to end a filibuster and pass it.
After the vote, the White House's Office of Management and Budget issued a memo saying “affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”
As a result, services deemed non-essential, including the food assistance programme, federally-funded pre-school, the issuing of student loans, food inspections, and operations at national parks are closed. This translates to a potential furlough for 750,000 employees.
Also Read: 150K federal employees to quit in largest US resignation ever
Democrats have been demanding the bill include an extension of health-care subsidies and roll back Medicaid cuts, which Republicans refused to attach. The closure, which began at 12.01 am, is expected to stop the release of key economic data, including Friday’s job report, suspend scientific research, slow down air traffic, and disrupt other services as essential workers like troops continue without pay.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said Republicans are trying to “bully” Democrats by refusing to negotiate on an extension of expanded Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of the year.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, threatened retribution to Democrats, saying a shutdown could include “cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”
Trump and his fellow Republicans said they won't entertain any changes to the legislation, arguing that it's a stripped-down, “clean” bill that should be noncontroversial. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “we can reopen it tomorrow” if enough Democrats break party lines.
The last shutdown was in Trump's first term, from December 2018 to January 2019, when he demanded that Congress give him money for his US-Mexico border wall. Trump retreated after 35 days – the longest shutdown ever – amid intensifying airport delays and missed paydays for federal workers.
Follow us
