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Government shutdown enters day three
Congress is expected to vote Friday on a deal to reopen the government. FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick reports from Capitol Hill with the latest, including how the shutdown is affecting federal workers.
WASHINGTON - The federal government shutdown will continue into next week after the Senate failed to reach an agreement on the continuing resolution.
Hope that the shutdown will end quickly is starting to fade as it appears likely that neither Republicans nor Democrats are backing down on their stances.
What we know:
Senators left Capitol Hill on Friday after another failed vote. Democrats continue to hold out on the legislation proposed by the GOP. The tally was 54-44 against the Republican’s bill that would reopen the government.
The main sticking point: funding for Medicaid and Medicare.
Despite GOP control of the White House, and both chambers of Congress, the Senate's filibuster rules require 60 votes for the government funding legislation to pass and Democrats continue to demand that Congress extend healthcare benefits.
At issue are tax credits that have made health insurance more affordable for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reports. The subsidies, which go to low- and middle-income people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, are slated to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t extend them.
Their expiration would more than double what subsidized enrollees currently pay for premiums next year, according to an analysis by KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.
Republicans, meanwhile, say they will not commit to anything until the government is reopened, pointing out the damage being inflicted upon federal workers and services amid the shutdown.
"DAY 3 of the Democrat Shutdown and Americans are paying the price while Dems keep playing politics," House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X
What's next:
President Donald Trump says he plans for layoffs and cuts across the federal government.
"The economic consequences of this shutdown are piling up everyday," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a White House press briefing on Friday. "This madness must end."
Speaker Johnson has said that the chamber will not be open for legislative business next week — a move likely meant to force the Senate to work with the government funding bill in its current form.
"All we need are five Democrat senators to do the right thing," Leavitt said.
Growing concerns:
Across Capitol Hill, you’ll feel the ripple effects of this government shutdown. Behind the political gridlock is a story of stress, fear, and growing uncertainty.
"I’ve definitely noticed anxiety levels rising. Just sitting in restaurants — you hear people worrying about when their next paycheck will come. There’s so much uncertainty," one federal worker told FOX 5. "My focus is just to support my boss and members — so we can get things back up and running."
As a bipartisan agreement still feels out of reach, the impact is already being felt: the Washington Monument is closed, and Saturday’s Walk to Defeat ALS, a major fundraiser, is canceled.
And while lawmakers argue over funding, mental health experts say many people are slipping through the cracks.
"I like to think about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If we can’t meet basic needs like finances, it’s really hard to focus on relationships, self-worth anything beyond survival," therapist Sarah Rollins said.
"Our systems are naturally going to go in a ‘flight, fight, freeze’ response when it feels like there's a threat. This is a threat to a lot of people's livelihoods," Rollins said.
With senators gone for the weekend, Monday is likely the earliest the shutdown could end.