Schumer shutdown update

Diogenes

Diogenes

Nemo me impune lacessit
As of October 21, 2025, Senate Democrats have blocked Republican-led votes on a House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to reopen the federal government 11 times during the ongoing shutdown that began on October 1. This "clean" CR would extend funding through November 21. The Senate requires 60 votes to overcome the filibuster, but the bill has only garnered about 50-51 yes votes each time, primarily from Republicans plus a few Democrats (e.g., Sens. Fetterman, Cortez Masto, and sometimes King or Shaheen).
 
Democrats also filibustered a separate full-year defense appropriations bill on October 16 (50-44), but this isn't included in the 11 as it targeted partial funding, not full reopening.
 
Democrats insist on pairing the CR with ACA subsidy extensions to avoid premium spikes for 20+ million Americans; Republicans refuse, calling it a "partisan wish list" and demanding a clean bill first.

No further votes are reported by October 21 morning, though the Senate may reconvene soon.

This marks the longest shutdown since 2018–2019, affecting ~2 million federal workers (many unpaid) and services like national parks and food aid.
 
Democrats rejected GOP funding extensions twice before the October 1 deadline, contributing to the lapse but not counted in the primary "reopening" tally, as the shutdown hadn't started.
 
Republicans, controlling the House and Senate, have passed a "clean" CR multiple times (extending funding through November 21 at current levels), but Senate Democrats—led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer—have blocked it 11 times, refusing to advance without attaching concessions.

The core dispute revolves around expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions and related healthcare reforms passed earlier in 2025. Democrats are leveraging their Senate filibuster power (requiring 60 votes to advance the CR) to demand changes, warning that without action, 24 million Americans could face premium hikes of up to 114% during open enrollment starting November 1.

Republicans insist on reopening the government first, then negotiating separately.

Democrats' conditions for supporting a CR to reopen the government include the following, based on statements from Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Democrats such as Dick Durbin and Chris Murphy:
  • Permanent Extension of ACA Premium Tax Credits: The top demand is to extend pandemic-era enhanced subsidies for ACA marketplace plans, which expire at the end of 2025. These credits help middle-class families afford insurance; without extension, premiums could double for millions. Democrats view this as non-negotiable, tying it directly to the CR to prevent a "healthcare crisis."
  • Reversal of the GOP's "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBBA, passed summer 2025), including $50 billion in cuts to rural hospitals, work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid adults (20 hours/week), and restrictions on federal health spending.
  • Restoration of taxpayer-funded benefits for Immigrants: Repeal OBBBA bans on federal benefits (e.g., Medicaid, ACA subsidies) for undocumented immigrants.
  • Rehiring of furloughed federal workers with back pays: Reverse "reductions-in-force" (RIFs) of federal employees during the shutdown, and ensure back pay for all furloughed workers.
  • Limit Trump's ability to redirecting funds for military pay during future shutdowns.
 
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