OAN Staff Sophia Flores and Brooke Mallory
6:53 PM – Tuesday, September 30, 2025
The Senate failed to pass a stopgap measure in a 55-45 vote, pushing the country toward its first government shutdown in nearly seven years — as funding expires at midnight.
A government shutdown is expected to begin at midnight after the Democrat’s counter proposal failed to receive the number of votes needed to pass the measure. The original House-passed Republican “clean” stopgap bill and the Democrat’s counter proposal each needed 60 votes to advance.
The only three Democrat senators who broke with their party and voted to keep the government open were Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Angus King (I-Maine).
Democrats resisted the GOP “clean” bill, arguing that critical healthcare provisions must be included in any funding agreement. Their counterproposal sought to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, reverse Medicaid cuts from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and restore funding reduced by the “Rescissions Act of 2025.”
If the shutdown begins as expected, roughly 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed, with an estimated $400 million in daily lost pay. Essential services, including national security, Social Security benefits, and air traffic control, will continue, while many other operations will pause.
Congressional leaders face a narrow window to negotiate a compromise, and the White House has directed federal agencies to implement shutdown contingency plans, emphasizing an orderly pause in nonessential activities.
Republicans argue that Democrats are demanding partisan policy changes at the expense of keeping the government open, while Democrats maintain that critical healthcare protections must be preserved. Public opinion may influence strategy — as prolonged shutdowns tend to affect the party perceived as obstructing funding.
The coming days are critical as Congress works to negotiate a deal that could avert an extended shutdown.
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