Senate Blocks GOP Funding Bill for 11th Time as Shutdown Deepens

The Senate on Monday voted 52–48 to reject a Republican-backed measure to reopen the federal government, marking the 11th failed attempt to end a shutdown now entering its fourth week, according to official floor records.

The vote underscores the deep partisan divide between Senate Democrats and House Republicans, whose Trump-backed funding proposal remains stalled.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said military pay and federal operations will dominate the week's agenda. He signaled that Republicans planned to force another vote on the Trump-endorsed funding bill.

Thune also suggested it may be time for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to recall the House, which last voted on Sept. 19. Johnson has not indicated when members might return to Washington.

The shutdown's impact is widening as thousands of federal employees are furloughed and many others work without pay. The Office of Personnel Management said agencies such as the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, and the Interior have begun implementing extended furloughs.

Union leaders warned that the shutdown is tightening financial strain on federal families nationwide. Many workers have now missed their first full paycheck since the closure began.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of "holding the government hostage" to advance policy riders tied to President Donald Trump's budget priorities. GOP leaders counter that their plan is a necessary step to "restore fiscal discipline."

With no talks scheduled and both chambers dug in, officials warned the shutdown could stretch well into next month. The extended impasse risks compounding economic fallout as unpaid workers brace for another missed payday.