Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits.
The vote failed Thursday morning on a 51-45 vote, well short of the 60 needed to advance with the Senate’s filibuster rules.
The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become. It has been at times the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor, while House Republicans have left Washington altogether. The standoff has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed.
60 vote “requirement” isn’t real. It can be overturned with a simple majority. It exists to give an excuse to democrats to not do anything. The republicans have and will create an exception whenever it is convenient for them. But they are perfectly fine with furloughing the services part of the government. But worry not, ICE and DoD contracts will still be paid.