The US Congress moved a step closer to a potential government shutdown after the Senate blocked a comprehensive budget package to fund the government.
Senate Democrats and some Republicans signaled they would vote against advancing the package today, warning that a federal government shutdown could occur if no deal is reached by 11:59 p.m. Friday.
A procedural vote to advance the budget package failed by a vote of 45-55. The forecasting market Poly Market is pricing in a 75% chance of a government shutdown on Saturday.
Eight Republican senators voted against the package, along with all Democrats. Among those voting “no” was Senate Majority Leader John Thune. After his last-minute negative vote, Thune requested reconsideration of the package so that it could be put back on the agenda.
Democrats say they are blocking the process because the six-bill package includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The party argues that it will not support the DHS section unless the Donald Trump administration commits to reforms that limit the harsh practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and end violent clashes between federal law enforcement and protesters.
Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray announced that she would vote “no,” citing the White House’s failure to reach a compromise to separate DHS funding from the package. Murray said that funding for five bills, such as child care, cancer research, air traffic controllers and the military, could pass quickly, but the DHS section, as it currently stands, is “unacceptable.” She added, “ICE and CBP are out of control.”
A cautious sense of optimism had emerged in the Senate this morning.