Senate Blocks GOP Continuing Resolution, Shutdown Risk Rises

Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, blocked a Republican 'clean' continuing resolution in a 55-45 vote, raising the odds of a partial government shutdown. The short-term extension would have funded the government only to Nov. 21; Republicans say it is a noncontroversial way to finish appropriations, while Democrats say any stopgap must extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and reverse recent Medicaid reductions. Negotiations collapsed after a tense White House meeting, with the Republican-led House out of session and a Senate filibuster threshold making a quick deal unlikely. A shutdown could furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers and halt pay, and Democrats warned that ACA premium notices beginning Oct. 1 make delays immediately consequential. President Trump said he could use a lapse in funding to enact 'irreversible' cuts and praised OMB Director Russell Vought's ability to slash programs during a funding lapse; both parties blame the other for the impasse.