By suzanne downing 
The federal government partially shut down early Wednesday after the US Senate failed to pass a short-term funding measure late Tuesday evening, triggering a lapse in appropriations at 12:01 a.m.
It is the first shutdown in six years.
The Senate voted 55-45 against Republicans’ Continuing Resolution, which had already cleared the House. The measure would have extended current government funding through Nov. 21 while giving lawmakers additional time to complete work on the 12 annual appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026. The proposal also included $30 million for lawmaker security and $58 million for U.S. Supreme Court justices and members of the executive branch.
Most Democrats voted against the Republican CR because it did not address the upcoming expiration of the enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credit, awarding health care benefits to illegal aliens, paid for by working Americans. Instead, Senate Democrats pushed their own proposal, which included health care-related policy riders with a price tag of up to $1.4 trillion. That measure also failed in the Senate after never passing the House.
Democrats argued that rejecting their plan amounted to undermining health care protections.
“I just voted NO on the Republican funding bill that does NOTHING to address premiums more than doubling next year,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote on X. “Republicans REFUSED to negotiate with Democrats and now they’re forcing a shutdown rather than working with us to fix the health care crisis THEY created.”
Only three Democrats — Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — crossed party lines to vote for both the Democratic and Republican versions of the CR. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against both measures. Even Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted — finally — to keep the government running.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, about 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day during the shutdown, costing an estimated $400 million daily in compensation. The Trump administration has directed agencies to consider permanent reductions in some positions during the lapse, consistent with federal law.
The Senate is scheduled to hold another vote on the Republican CR Wednesday morning.
Suzanne Downing
Americans need to recognize how government dependent they became. You don’t have to be just be a public assistant recipient to be a government dependent.
If millennials, GenXs lack the courage cutting government. I think when GenZ get bit older like when they reach 40s and increasing their political involvement. They’ll do what previous generations lacked the courage to do. They’ll cut the government.
Now what? How about three more years of fed shutdown.
The legislature will not cut to reduce the 2 trillion deficit. Russ Voight will cut. Have at it. There is no future in go along to get along except bankruptcy.
Now what?
Leviathan-on-the-Potomac takes a snooze, and Americans rejoice.