Executive summary: The U.S. Senate on Friday failed to pass a Republican-led bill to pay federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown, deepening the political stalemate as Democrats demand concessions on healthcare subsidies before agreeing to any partial funding measures.
The vote occurred on November 7, 2025, with the bill receiving 53 votes in favor and 43 against, short of the 60 required to advance. Three Democratic senators—Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Jon Ossoff of Georgia, and Raphael Warnock of Georgia—voted with Republicans, but the majority of Democrats opposed the measure, arguing it did not address the root causes of the shutdown.
The legislation, introduced by GOP Senator Ron Johnson, was designed to resume paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, including both those deemed essential and forced to work without pay and those furloughed. Republicans had amended the bill to include furloughed workers in a last-ditch effort to secure Democratic support, but it failed to break the impasse.
Democrats maintained that the bill would grant President Donald Trump too much authority to selectively pay workers, as he has done with military personnel and immigration officers while threatening others. They emphasized that any funding solution must also extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at year-end, which provide health insurance assistance to 24 million Americans.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, expressed exasperation after the vote, accusing Democrats of engaging in political tactics. He reiterated that Republicans would not negotiate on healthcare subsidies until the government is fully reopened, dismissing the Democratic proposal as unserious. “I am tired of political games, I really am,” Thune said on the Senate floor.
The shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, has furloughed about 750,000 federal workers and compelled thousands more to work without pay. It has led to widespread disruptions, including potential flight cancellations at major airports due to unpaid air-traffic controllers, and has cut off food assistance and Head Start programs for millions, including children.
In a bid to resolve the deadlock, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer offered a compromise that would reopen the government in exchange for a one-year extension of the health care subsidies and the establishment of a bipartisan committee to explore long-term reforms. However, Thune quickly rejected the offer, stating it was far from what was needed to end the shutdown.
With both sides entrenched, the shutdown is likely to continue into the coming week, intensifying the financial strain on federal employees and the broader public. The ongoing conflict underscores the deep partisan divisions in Washington, with little indication of a breakthrough as the economic and social impacts worsen.
