Senate Votes Repeatedly as Government Shutdown Hits Day 3

The U.S. government shutdown has entered its third day with Senate votes on funding bills repeatedly failing to reach the necessary threshold, signaling a continued stalemate between Republicans and Democrats. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated there will be no votes over the weekend, pushing hopes for resolution to Monday, extending the shutdown potentially to six days or more. Both a GOP-backed seven-week stopgap funding measure and a Democrat bill including health care provisions have been voted down multiple times, with no bipartisan agreement in sight. Republicans remain hopeful that a few Democrats might break ranks to support their bill, while Democrats aim to leverage voter concerns over healthcare and economic impacts to pressure Republicans into negotiations. The White House has escalated tensions by withholding funding on certain Democratic projects, including $2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure funding, intensifying political pressures. Overall, the shutdown continues amid deep divisions, with lawmakers expected to return next week to resume efforts to reopen the government.