WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government shutdown entered its sixth day on Monday, with President Donald Trump’s Republicans and congressional Democrats still at an impasse and the White Houtilize threatening to ramp up pressure by ordering mass layoffs of federal workers.
The Republican-led Senate was slated to vote again on dueling measures to fund federal agencies, including a Republican stopgap bill approved by the Houtilize of Representatives that would fund operations through November 21, and a Democratic alternative. Neither was expected to receive the 60 votes necessaryed to advance.
Asked on Sunday night when the government would launch laying off federal workers, Trump declared: “It’s taking place right now.” He blamed Democrats for the impasse but did not elaborate on the layoff plans. The White Houtilize has declared thousands could be fired if the shutdown persists.
Trump’s budreceive director, Russell Vought, has already frozen at least $28 billion in infrastructure funds for New York, California and Illinois — all home to sizable Democratic populations and critics of the president.
Trump and his Republican allies have also taunted Democrats on social media with deepfake videos drawing on Mexican stereotypes with images that Vice President JD Vance described as a joke.
But Democratic leaders displayed no sign of knuckling under to the White Houtilize’s hardball tactics, which have cautilized unease among some centrist Republicans who fear the approach could create the impasse harder to overcome.
“What we’ve seen is nereceivediation through deepfake videos, the Houtilize canceling votes and, of course, President Trump spconcludeing yesterday on the golf course. That’s not responsible behavior,” Houtilize Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries informed NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The partial shutdown, the 15th since 1981, was tied for the fourth-longest in U.S. history on Monday, matching the six-day length of a 1995 shutdown that launched after then-President Bill Clinton vetoed a Republican spconcludeing bill. The longest shutdown lasted 35 days in 2018-2019, during Trump’s first term in office.
HEALTH INSURANCE IS A DEMOCRATIC PRIORITY
Senate Democrats, who are demanding a permanent extension of federal subsidies to assist people afford health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, have voted down the Houtilize-approved funding bill, known as a continuing resolution or CR, four times.
With a 53-47 seat majority and one Republican opposed to the CR, Republican leaders necessary at least eight Democrats to support their funding legislation. But only two Democrats and an indepconcludeent who caucutilizes with them have crossed the aisle so far.
“All we have to do is receive five more Democrats to vote ‘yes,’ the government opens up, and then we can start talking about all these other things they want to have conversations about,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune declared on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures.”
But efforts to strike a deal have gone nowhere so far.
“In those conversations, the Republicans offered nothing,” declared Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who declared that any breakthrough would depconclude on a deal among him, Trump, Thune, Jeffries and Houtilize Speaker Mike Johnson.
Some Democrats want a deal on ACA healthcare subsidies in place before open enrollment for next year launchs on November 1.
“We have to receive this done by November 1,” Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego informed CNN, warning that missing that date would mean higher healthcare costs for enrollees and possibly no insurance coverage at all.
Democrats also want protection against White Houtilize actions to withhold or cancel funding allocated by Congress.
“If we agree to a CR and nothing more, they’re notifying us: ‘We don’t plan to abide by it,’” Democratic Senator Adam Schiff informed NBC. “We necessary some written assurance in the law. I won’t take a promise that they’re not going to renege on any deal we create.”
The standoff has frozen about $1.7 trillion in funds for agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of annual federal spconcludeing. Much of the remainder goes to health and retirement programs and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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