Washington. Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a Republican proposal to keep federal funding flowing, setting the government on course for its first shutdown in nearly seven years.

The measure, which would have extended funding for seven weeks, failed in a 55-45 vote, short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster. Democrats said they were following through on their threat to halt government operations unless President Donald Trump and Republicans agreed to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year’s end.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York accused Republicans of trying to “bully” Democrats into backing down. “Otherwise, Republicans will be driving us straight towards a shutdown tonight at midnight. The American people will blame them for bringing the federal government to a halt,” he said.

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget quickly instructed agencies to implement their shutdown plans, which could furlough or lay off hundreds of thousands of workers.

Trump, meanwhile, threatened broad program cuts if Democrats refused to relent. “A shutdown could include cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like,” he said.

Republicans argued their bill was a “clean” measure that should have passed without controversy. Senate Majority Leader John Thune suggested Democrats would eventually have to cave. “We can reopen it tomorrow,” he said, if enough Democrats crossed party lines.

The standoff evoked memories of Trump’s first shutdown in late 2018, which stretched 35 days, the longest in US history, over his demand for border wall funding.

Democrats Split
Despite party unity against the GOP bill, several Democrats broke ranks. Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada joined Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine in voting with Republicans. King warned the impasse risked “permanent damage,” adding, “Instead of fighting Trump we’re actually empowering him.”

Still, Republicans need at least five more Democrats to prevent a shutdown. Thune predicted support for the GOP bill would grow “when they realize this is playing a losing hand.”

Workers Brace for Impact
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated some 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed daily once a shutdown begins. The White House warned agencies to prepare for possible layoffs, not just furloughs, in a “reduction in force.”

On the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website, a banner warned: “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people.”

Health Care Demands
Democrats are pushing to immediately extend ACA health subsidies, arguing millions could face premium hikes if pandemic-era tax credits expire. They also want Republicans to reverse Medicaid cuts enacted under Trump’s recent tax package and guarantee no further rescissions of approved spending.

Republicans said Democrats should keep the government open first, then negotiate. “We are happy to fix the ACA issue,” Thune said, but only if Democrats vote to extend funding through Nov. 21.

A Risky Strategy
For Democrats, the shutdown fight is politically fraught. The party has long denounced shutdowns as harmful, but many lawmakers and activists argue they must draw a line against Trump’s demands.

“The level of appeasement that Trump demands never ends,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “At some point you just have to stand up to him.”

Trump’s Role
Bipartisan talks at the White House on Monday, Trump’s first with all four congressional leaders since returning to office, quickly soured. Hours later, Trump posted a doctored video mocking Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, prompting accusations of racism and immaturity.

“Less than a day before a shutdown, the president is trolling on the internet like a 10-year-old,” Schumer said. “We know he runs the show here.”

The government is now expected to begin shutting down at midnight on Wednesday or around 11.00 am Jakarta time.

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