Congress: The Senate & The House

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Vote to end government shutdown fails as Democrats hold firm on health care demands

The U.S. Senate adjourned for the day on Wednesday with no resolution on how to reopen the government.

https://apnews.com/live/donald-trump-news-updates-10-1-2025?

Dems' potential dealmakers

The Senate today defeated two bills — one from Republicans, one from Democrats — to reopen the federal government.

• Democrats are still insisting on health care subsidies, and Republicans are still insisting the government needs to reopen before that conversation can happen.
• Three Democrats voted for the GOP's stopgap spending bill.

?️ Republicans only need to peel off four more in order to reopen the government, Axios' Stephen Neukam notes.

• Who we're watching: Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Gary Peters and Jeanne Shaheen all helped clear the way for a GOP spending bill to pass earlier this year, and they're all retiring — insulating them from pressure from the base.
• Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.) is facing one of the toughest reelection campaigns in the country next year. Moderate New Hampshire senator Maggie Hassan could also be part of a bloc that ultimately wants to move on.

Shutdown sign signs today (clockwise from upper left): U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Everglades National Park in Florida (2). Photos: Getty Images

? Where it stands: Roads, trails and other open-air parts of national parks are still open, but indoor facilities — like the Capitol Visitors Center and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia — are closed.

• Major sets of federal data, including Census data and information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are offline during the shutdown, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick reports.

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✋ Deal or no deal

The Trump administration's spending freezes and layoff threats stole the headlines. But on the Hill itself, anxious activity was the dominant theme of shutdown day one.

Why it matters: Actual progress was difficult to discern. The government will remain shut down until at least Friday, with the Senate taking a break tomorrow for Yom Kippur.

• Today's biggest developments: a bipartisan huddle on the Senate floor and a potential meeting between Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
• "We all agree that we'll continue talking. No agreements were made," Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) told reporters of the ad hoc floor discussion.

State of play: Many Democrats are prepared to play the long game.

• ⚾️ "Today is the first inning," Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) told us.
• But GOP leadership is confident another five Democrats (see item No. 3) will join yesterday's trio to vote to reopen the government.
• Thune thinks he and Schumer will talk "in the next day or two," telling reporters Schumer has "indicated that he's interested in doing that."

Driving the news: GOP Sens. Mike Rounds (S.D.), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Katie Britt (Ala.) and John Cornyn (Texas) were among those who stood huddled on the Senate floor this afternoon.

• Democrats such as Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Gary Peters (Mich.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.), Raphael Warnock (Ga.) and Tim Kaine (Va.) were part of the group.
• Those five have all voted against the GOP short-term spending bill.

Zoom in: Senate Democrats floated the idea of opening the government for a week or more to give negotiations on tax credits for health insurance a little breathing room.

• Rounds said there was discussion about timing for extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, ensuring states have time to set premiums.
• On an upbeat note, he said Democrats showed willingness "to discuss the fixes to the frauds that we know did occur."

Reality check: Multiple senior Senate Democratic sources told us the two sides are no closer to a deal to reopen the government after the bipartisan conversations.

• ? "There is zero interest from our conference of doing anything while they're shutting the government down," Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) told Axios.

Zoom out: Republicans say no deal will be had until the government is reopened. The ACA subsidies were the subject of the GOP steering lunch today, but it's clear Republicans have major problems with the tax credits.

• Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) shared a chart showing the share of enhanced subsidies going to those who earn more than 400% of the poverty level.
• Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) handed out a release about an ACA fraud scheme.
• A small group of moderate Republicans has already been meeting to discuss possible ACA solutions.

The bottom line: "The American public is going to drive this," Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) told reporters.

— Stef Kight and Hans Nichols

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? House Dem rips own leaders

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) is stepping all over his party leadership's messaging on who owns the shutdown.

• "This government shutdown is the result of hardball politics driven by the demands far-left groups are making for Democratic Party leaders to put on a show of their opposition to President Trump," Golden said in a statement.

Why it matters: Golden represents one of the most conservative districts of any House Democrat and often positions himself to the right of his party.

• Golden said he agrees with the demands Democrats are making, specifically extending ACA tax credits and rolling back Medicaid cuts from the "big, beautiful bill" that was signed into law.
• But he said that "normal policy disagreements are no reason to subject our constituents to the continued harm of this shutdown."

Zoom in: Golden was the only House Democrat to vote for the Republicans' stopgap spending bill last month.

• Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), whose vote wasn't recorded, said she supported it as well.

The other side: "House Democrats have consistently made clear that we will sit down with anyone at any time in any place to negotiate a bipartisan agreement," Jeffries said at a press conference when asked about Golden's comments.

— Andrew Solender

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Thune eyes 7 Dems

Senate Republicans need just five more votes. But they're eyeing at least seven Democratic senators as potential flips.

1. Jon Ossoff (Ga.) — Up for reelection, and he's got the most important incumbent race for Senate Democrats next year.
2. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) — She's retiring and is leading the push for a bipartisan deal on extending the ACA enhanced credits before they expire at the end of the year.
3. Gary Peters (Mich.) — He's retiring and has signaled he'd be open to supporting a government funding bill with assurances on concessions on health care from Republicans.
4. Maggie Hassan (N.H.) — A moderate who voted against the shutdown in March.
5. Minority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) — He's retiring too, but he voted to keep the government open in March. He'd face lots of pressure not to break with Schumer.
6. Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) — Called looming health care premium increases a "Republican-manufactured" crisis. But Trump's move to withhold $18 billion from NYC infrastructure projects might not help.
7. Brian Schatz (Hawaii): Is currently a hard "no". But he voted to keep it open last time.

— Stephen Neukam

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Blame game

There’s a well-founded bit of conventional wisdom that government shutdowns never really work for the side making demands, according to CNN’s Aaron Blake. But there’s growing evidence that the current shutdown is somewhat different from its predecessors.

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? Texts for Chuck Schumer

Progressive grassroots groups are putting congressional Democrats on speed dial to "hold the line" on government shutdown negotiations.

Why it matters: That pressure campaign will make it more difficult for Democrats to compromise with Republicans to end the shutdown.

• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been closely coordinating his shutdown strategy with outside liberal groups, we scooped last week.
• But the groups are clearly playing an inside-outside game and are using their volunteers to dissuade Democrats from compromising.

Driving the news: The Working Families Party and MoveOn are ginning up their phone and text banks for their activists to pressure their senators.

• "I'm calling to encourage Senator _________ to hold the line during this shutdown and keep fighting against Trump's health care cuts and price increases," according to a script from the WFP first obtained by Axios.
• "Thank your Senator for continuing to hold the line on healthcare against Republicans' cuts," according to a text sent to MoveOn members.

The intrigue: The groups are using carrots and sticks.

• "Your Senator just voted against making healthcare affordable for families. Tell them to do better and fight for us," reads the MoveOn text aimed at supporters living in the states of the 55 senators who voted to fund the government.

Zoom out: On day two of the government shutdown, with the Senate out for Yom Kippur, there was scant evidence of any progress to reopen the government.

• The outlines of a potential deal on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits in exchange for votes to fund the government are starting to emerge, but both sides remain far apart.
• "Let's sit down, let's fix it, let's come up with a timeframe to do that," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said this morning on Fox News.
• "We have a path forward, but it requires Senate Democrats to come to their senses and vote for the clean, short-term continuing resolution that would reopen the government," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) wrote on X.

Zoom in: Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), the only House Democrat to vote to fund the government, is being attacked by state Auditor Matthew Dunlap, who is eyeing a primary challenge against him.

• "It's not the first time he's caved, and it probably won't be the last," Dunlap told us.
• Dunlap's taunt could serve as a warning to Democrats who are curious about a potential compromise: Work with Republicans and risk a primary challenge.

— Holly Otterbein and Hans Nichols

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? Dems "fight harder"

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Shutting down the government is about more than health care for some congressional Democrats. It's about the very future of their party. ? Why it matters: We've reported throughout the year how Hill Democrats have been besieged by an increasingly angry base demanding that they "fight harder" and "do something" about President Trump. The demands are working. "I think it is important for us to have this fight," Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) told us of the shutdown. "They want us throwing some punches, and ... there's only one way to deal with a bully. This isn't 20 years ago." The big picture: The party establishment is seizing on a growing strain of Democratic populism like never before. "It's not the radical or the most agitated element of the base that feel that way" anymore, one House Democrat told us under the condition of anonymity to describe the political dynamics of the shutdown. "Now, it's the mainstream of the Democratic Party that's saying, 'We've given [Trump] every opportunity and he's shown no willingness to do this, so now we have to take more radical measures.'" ? Between the lines: Democratic elected officials now find themselves as angry as their voters. The last nine months have been an unending parade of indignity for Democrats as their party and all of Congress have been effectively sidelined by the White House. "The level of frustration ... has been turned up from December," a senior House Democrat told us. "Everything since then — rescissions, pocket rescissions — it just creates this tension where, enough is enough." ? Zoom in: Some Democrats openly acknowledge that, while health care is extremely important to them, it's not the only thing at stake. ? "People want this to be a sort of reckoning, where people finally said, 'No,'" Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) told us. "We're going to start with these ACA subsidies because it's the most urgent," Landsman told us. "But ... you're creating a really important moment where sh*t didn't fly." The bottom line: "I marvel at the naivete of any Democrat who thinks we should give them Dem votes so they can just turn around and ignore us, crash the health care system, and dismantle what's left of our democracy," Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told us. "The filibuster is toast anyway," he added, effectively daring Republicans to ignore the Senate's requirement for 60 votes and pass a party-line funding bill. "So let them proceed with GOP votes and let the country see with perfect clarity who owns all the damage and destruction they're fomenting." — Andrew Solender

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GOP super PACs team up

The two main House and Senate GOP super PACs are joining forces on an ad campaign to pin blame for the government shutdown on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Why it matters: Both parties are girding themselves for a long government shutdown. The longer the shutdown goes, the more ads will be cut.

• Today's six-figure buy, running on cable and digital in New York and D.C., marks the first coordinated effort by the two groups to influence public opinion.

Driving the news: The hybrid ad from the American Action Network and One Nation accuses Democratic leaders of caving to the "woke mob" and forcing a government shutdown.

• "Call and tell them to vote to help working families, not to shut down the government."

The intrigue: American Action Network is the 501(c)(4) organization associated with the Congressional Leadership Fund, which acts as the main super PAC for Speaker Johnson.

• One Nation is the 501(c)(4) arm of the Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC for Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.).
• The two groups never coordinated their efforts before Johnson and Thune became their party leaders.

What they're saying: "Conservatives are a united front against the lunatic leftists in Congress holding government funding hostage," said Chris Winkelman, the president of American Action Network.

• "By voting for this shutdown, Democrats proved the only thing they care about more than Big Government is handing taxpayer health care to illegal immigrants," said Alex Latcham, the executive director of One Nation.
• Republicans claim that Democrats want to undo a provision in the "one, big beautiful bill" law that narrowed the eligibility requirement for Medicaid coverage for illegal immigrants.
• But Democrats insist they only want to allow immigrants who have legal status to access the program. They point to existing prohibitions — and a 1996 statute — that prevent unauthorized immigrants from receiving Medicaid.

— Hans Nichols

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?️ Both sides dig in

Both parties are preparing for this government shutdown to be a long one.

• The Senate again voted down bills to reopen the government today, with no apparent movement toward a resolution.

? The latest: The two main House and Senate GOP super PACs are joining forces on an ad campaign to pin blame for the government shutdown on Democratic leaders, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.

• The six-figure buy, running on cable and digital in New York and D.C., marks the first coordinated effort by the two groups to influence public opinion.
• Trump today shared an AI-generated video depicting White House budget director Russ Vought as the grim reaper, holding a scythe and preparing to lay off federal workers during the shutdown.

⚡️ The other side: Progressives groups are putting pressure on Democratic lawmakers to "hold the line" in the shutdown standoff.

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?️ Where the shutdown bites

Chart: The New York Times During the government shutdown that began early Wednesday, offices of the EPA and Education Department are nearly empty. But Treasury and Veterans Affairs are operating at almost full capacity. Click here for a department-by-department guide to activities that have ceased and ones that continue. (N.Y. Times gift link)

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Government shutdown primed to roll into next week after US Senate deadlocks again

WASHINGTON — An agreement to reopen the federal government was nowhere in sight Friday after U.S. Senate Democrats and Republicans failed Friday, for the fourth time, to move on a deal and House Speaker Mike Johnson announced he won’t bring his members back until the middle of the month.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/10/04/repub/government-shutdown-primed-to-roll-into-next-week-after-us-senate-deadlocks-again/?

Renewal of health subsidies backed by big majorities in poll, including Trump voters

WASHINGTON — The vast majority of Americans, including Republicans and those who identify as strong supporters of President Donald Trump, want Congress to renew the enhanced tax credits for people who buy their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, according to a poll released Friday. 

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/10/03/repub/renewal-of-health-subsidies-backed-by-big-majorities-in-poll-including-trump-voters/?

How the federal shutdown is playing out across the government

WASHINGTON — The first federal government shutdown in seven years has left hundreds of thousands of workers furloughed and members of the public struggling to understand what’s open, what’s closed and what might be delayed.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/10/03/repub/how-the-federal-shutdown-is-playing-out-across-the-government/?

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Johnson's bipartisan heat

House Speaker Mike Johnson's decision to keep his chamber on recess during the government shutdown is stalling a long-awaited vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Why it matters: The delay of Rep. Thomas Massie's (R-Ky.) discharge petition has fueled frustration among Democrats, and even some Republicans.

• "This has nothing to do with that. It's another red herring," Johnson said on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday about claims he's stalling to avoid a vote on the Epstein files.
• "I want every page of this out," he said.

? "Why are we in recess? Because the day we go back into session, I have 218 votes for the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files," Massie posted on X yesterday.

• "Not being in session certainly does avoid the Epstein discharge petition, which I've never understood why it's anything to hide," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said in a statement to us today.
• "Aren't we all against convicted pedophiles and anyone who enables them?"

Catch up quick: Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) won a special election to replace her late father almost two weeks ago, and will be the 218th signature on the petition.

• Democrats have demanded Johnson swear Grijalva in immediately, but the speaker said he will do so when the House returns to session.
• Members have been sworn in when the House was on recess before — including Florida GOP Reps. Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis, who took office just 24 hours after they were elected in April.
• But because Johnson canceled votes on Sept. 29 and 30, before Grijalva's election, the speaker's office made no plans to swear her in before the House returns.

The bottom line: The four GOP defectors who have signed the petition have signaled they won't remove their names despite pressure from leadership and the White House.

• "I'm not coming off [the] discharge petition," Greene told us today.
• "They're solid. They're not moving," Massie told us in September.

— Kate Santaliz

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? TV wars winner

Data: Congressional leadership offices; Chart: Axios Visuals Congressional leaders are not talking to each other this shutdown, but they're being extra chatty on the airwaves — especially Johnson. Why it matters: Both sides are adamant the other party is to blame for the shutdown. Convincing the American public is the best leverage any leader can have for shutdown-ending negotiations. Johnson has appeared for TV interviews at least twice as often as his three peers in the "Big Four." Zoom in: Fox News and MSNBC received the most leader love, with six leader "hits" since the shutdown. All six on Fox were by Republicans, while Johnson appeared once on MSNBC. CNN and Fox Business have had four appearances each. — Stef Kight

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? "Two bullets" backlash

Virginia's two Democratic senators are condemning comments from Jay Jones, the party's state attorney general nominee, for suggesting a political opponent deserved "two bullets" in 2022. But they aren't calling on him to drop out. Jones has remained silent since a Friday night statement, when he said he was "embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry." The big picture: Political strategists in both parties acknowledged that his comments have changed the race. Jones led, 51%-45%, in a Washington Post poll from late September. "There is nothing that can justify these indefensible words and they are contrary to all I've known about Jay Jones for decades. With hundreds of thousands of Virginians already having voted, it's up to Virginians to decide," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in a statement on Monday. "The comments attributed to Jay Jones are appalling, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the person I've known," Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said on X. State of play: Republicans worked throughout the weekend to ensure that Jones' text messages would be seen by every possible Virginia voter. The day began with host Joe Scarborough saying on MSNBC, "He probably should be forced to withdraw from the race." The campaign for Jason Miyares, the current Virginia AG, placed a $1.5 million ad buy highlighting the comments today, we scooped this afternoon. Zoom in: Republicans are hammering Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) for apparently endorsing Jones after the text messages became public and after Jones confirmed he wrote them. "It's time for our Commonwealth to send a message that we're tired of Republican chaos. VA, make a plan to vote — early if you can — for @SpanbergerForVA, @SenatorHashmi, @jonesjay, and Democrats up and down the ballot," Vindman said Sunday on X. "A Virginia Democrat candidate wants children to die from gun violence and Eugene Vindman's response is to double down on his support. Like Jones, Vindman is wholly unfit to serve Virginians in office," said Reilly Richardson, a spokesman for the NRCC. — Hans Nichols

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Epstein Victim’s Family Slams Mike Johnson Over ‘Political’ Move to Delay File Release Vote

The House Speaker is accused of refusing to swear in a new Democratic congresswoman to delay a vote on the release of the Epstein files.

Virginia Giuffre’s brother has torn into House Speaker Mike Johnson, accusing him of playing politics with survivors’ pain by stalling a vote to force the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Speaking on MSNBC Tuesday, Sky Roberts said Johnson’s refusal to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva—whose signature could supply the decisive 218th backer for a discharge petition compelling a floor vote—was inflicting real harm on those “victims and survivors” still seeking answers about the late sex offender’s network.

“I think he’s forgetting that these are human lives,” said Roberts, whose sister died by suicide in April at the age of 41 after emerging as the most prominent victim of Epstein’s abuse.

“These are actual victims and survivors, including my sister and the families… that are still suffering a great loss,” he added.

“And I think he forgets there’s a human side to this, that this isn’t just a political ring for [him] to run through. These are human lives and this hurts.

“This hurts every time [he] come out and...just say, ‘Oh well, only a dozen survivors came to Washington to actually come forward.’”

He asked: “How many is it gonna take?”

A group of Epstein survivors will return to the Capitol on Wednesday to hold another press conference demanding Congress force a vote.

Johnson has denied that politics around the files are driving the delay, insisting his hesitation is solely because the House is in a “pro forma” session during the shutdown.

Pressed by CNN’s Manu Raju this week on why he swore in Republicans under similar circumstances earlier this year but won’t do the same for Grijalva, a Democrat, Johnson replied, “It has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back,” later saying it would be scheduled “as soon as she wants.”

Democrats and a handful of Republicans are backing a bipartisan discharge petition from Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to force the House to consider legislation instructing the Justice Department to release its investigative files on Epstein, in which Donald Trump is said to feature heavily.

Backers say the petition stands at 217 signatures and would hit 218 once Grijalva is sworn in.

The 54-year-old’s victory in a special election two weeks ago to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, in Arizona’s 7th District would trim the already narrow GOP margin, further raising the stakes.

Johnson, however, has repeatedly resisted bringing the matter to the floor and sent the House home early for the August recess—a move critics said dodged Epstein-related votes.

President Trump, with whom Epstein socialized for years, opposes the disclosure push, and a White House official warned that backing the petition would be seen by Trump as a ‘hostile act.’Grijalva herself said on Monday that she’s heard “absolutely nothing” with “no indication at all” about when she might be sworn in.

Roberts, whose sister won a multimillion-dollar settlement from Epstein’s close friend Prince Andrew, said the discussion should be focused on victims, not political manoeuvring.

“You’re holding [this] against the votes because you just have to defend a person or your friends,” he said.

The Daily Beast has contacted Johnson for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-victim-virginia-giuffres-family-slams-speaker-mike-johnson-over-delay-to-file-release-vote/?

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Staffing shortages cause more US flight delays as government shutdown reaches seventh day Staffing shortages led to more flight delays at airports across the U.S. on Tuesday as the federal government shutdown stretched into a seventh day, while union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security screeners warned the situation was likely to get worse. Read more.

Why this matters: The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia, and at its air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The agency temporarily slowed takeoffs of planes headed to the first three cities and reported issues on Monday at the airports in Burbank, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Denver.    The risk of wider impacts to the U.S. aviation system “is growing by the day” as federal workers whose jobs are deemed critical continue working without pay, travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Federal government shutdown grinds into a second week, but quiet talks emerging   Democrats in governors races see political opportunity amid government shutdown   Gold futures rise above $4,000 per ounce for the first time, as investors seek ‘safe haven’ during the shutdown

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Shutdown pressure point

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Shortages of air traffic controllers this week could put more pressure on Congress to end the government shutdown, Axios aviation expert Alex Fitzpatrick writes. Staffing-related delays have plagued airports in Chicago, Nashville, Denver and several other major cities this week as controllers are working without pay. At least one notable airport — California's Hollywood Burbank — went "ATC zero" for several hours, with no controllers in the tower. By the numbers: As of this afternoon, FlightAware is reporting 50 cancellations and 2,514 delays involving flights within, leaving or arriving in the U.S. ? Context: "Sick-outs" by air traffic controllers and TSA personnel played an underappreciated role in ending the 2018-19 shutdown, as lawmakers faced the prospect of snarled air traffic, furious executives and an irate flying public. Controllers are prohibited from going on strike — but they can use their sick days to exert similar pressure. ? What we're watching: One air traffic controller, who wished to remain anonymous, told Axios they've already considered loaning money to their most junior colleagues if they're forced to work without pay for much longer. "If it gets to the point where I'm paying the next generation's bills just to keep the FAA solvent staffing-wise, they sure as hell won't be seeing me coming in whenever they please," the controller said. Go deeper.

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? Scoop: Thune eyes standalone

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is considering bringing full-year appropriations bills — including one to fund the Pentagon and pay the military — to the floor for a vote, he told us today.

Why it matters: Bipartisan talks to reopen the government via a short-term spending stopgap bill are frozen, so Thune is contemplating other options.

• Bringing standalone appropriations bills to the floor would be a long and tortuous way to reopen the government, department by department.
• To pass a bundle of multiple appropriations bills — like the one that passed the Senate earlier this year — would require unanimous consent.
• But Thune could bring a single appropriation bill to the floor if it has already been passed by the House, like the Defense package.

What he's saying: "We're prepared to do that," Thune told us when asked at what point he would consider bringing committee-passed appropriations bills to the floor.

• But he cautioned: "That takes consent. We got to find out if the Dems are going to let us do anything while the government is shut down."
• "But yeah, I'm ready to call up the Defense approps bill," he said.

Zoom in: The strategy has the backing of Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), who thinks finished appropriations bills "should immediately be brought to the floor."

• "The top priority of everyone is getting the government reopened," Collins said. "If we are stymied, I think we should be proceeding with appropriations laws."
• Collins called for the Senate to designate members for a formal conference for the trio of bills that passed the Senate earlier this year.

The other side: "There's nothing holding him back from doing that," Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said of Thune potentially bringing the Defense bill to the floor.

• "That does not change where we are right now in the CR," she added. "We still have to negotiate with the House. The President has to sign it, so it's a long way from anywhere."
• "I prefer that the Republican leader talks to the Democratic leader, and they come up with a decision on how we're going to move forward."

Between the lines: For the troops wondering if they will get paid, there's almost no way a full defense appropriations bill could pass both chambers by Oct. 15. They would likely miss a paycheck.

• The vote would force Democrats to make a difficult decision: Pass a standalone bill to ensure troops get paid — or preserve their shutdown leverage.
• But GOP leaders would risk losing political leverage, too.

— Stef Kight and Hans Nichols

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? Rank-and-file Democratic leader

Retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is leading her party's covert conversations with Republicans on how to find a way out of a shutdown, sources tell us.

• That includes last night, when she joined a bipartisan group of senators at a Thai restaurant in the capital.

Why it matters: Leadership-level negotiations are currently non-existent.

• Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) — another Democrat engaged in bipartisan conversations — today characterized the talks as "casual or loose."
• Shaheen has been working the phones, making calls to Democrats and Republicans while in New Hampshire over the weekend.

The big picture: Shaheen is considered a bellwether for Senate Democrats. If she backs a bipartisan compromise, it likely unlocks a critical chunk of Democratic votes.

• Leadership hasn't blessed the rank-and-file talks, but they are being kept in the loop, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) checking in with members nightly.
• The talks haven't progressed far, according to sources on both sides of the aisle.

The bottom line: "We need to open the government back up and I think people need to sit down and talk to each other," Shaheen told reporters.

— Stephen Neukam

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? Cracks in GOP unity

Some House Republicans are running out of patience with Speaker Mike Johnson for keeping their chamber in recess.

• "The Speaker shouldn't even think about cancelling session for a third straight week," endangered California Republican Kevin Kiley posted today.

Why it matters: The delayed Epstein files confrontation has been simmering. But today's eruptions — between Republicans, at least — were over the urgency to get the military paid.

• Troops are set to start missing paychecks next week unless Congress passes Rep. Jen Kiggans' (R-Va.) bill to keep salaries flowing.
• Johnson has ruled out bringing her bill up for a vote, saying the Senate should pass the short-term funding stopgap that would include military pay.
• "I'm urging the Speaker and our House leadership to immediately pass my bill to ensure our servicemembers, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck while supporting their families, receive the pay they've earned." Kiggans told us in a statement after Johnson ruled out a vote.

The other side: The "prevailing thought" among many centrist House Republicans and military veterans, one House Republican told us, is that "we did our job, we voted to pay the military, we voted for the status quo, it's all on Schumer, and to do anything other than that is contrary to that one singular narrative.

Go deeper.

— Kate Santaliz and Andrew Solender

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? Hill confrontations

The House is losing its cool as the shutdown drags on. Just today, there were three confrontations that would dominate a normal day in congressional news.

1. Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) accused Speaker Johnson of keeping the House out of session to delay Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) from signing the Epstein files discharge petition. Johnson called the claim "totally absurd."
2. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) pressed Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on whether he plans to endorse Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor. "I don't answer to you," Jeffries replied.
3. On the House floor, a group of Democrats tried again to get the House to swear in Grijalva during its pro forma session. "This is undemocratic," said centrist Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) after Republicans gaveled the House back out of session.

Go deeper.

— Andrew Solender and Kate Santaliz

Senate Republicans vote down legislation to check Trump’s use of war powers against cartels Senate Republicans voted down legislation Wednesday that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to use deadly military force against drug cartels after Democrats tried to counter the administration’s extraordinary assertion of presidential war powers to destroy vessels in the Caribbean. Read more.

Why this matters: The vote fell mostly along party lines, 48-51, with two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski, voting in favor and Democratic Sen. John Fetterman voting against. Wednesday’s vote was brought under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which was intended to reassert congressional power over the declaration of war.   Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Republican Conference for lunch Wednesday to emphasize to senators that they should vote against the legislation. He told the senators the administration was treating cartels like governmental entities because they have seized control of large portions of some Caribbean nations, according to Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota.

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Military families brace for missed paychecks as shutdown impacts are already accumulating

Canceled school events, growing lines at military food pantries, accumulating fears tied to missed paychecks and the potential need for loans to stay afloat — US military families are already feeling the impacts of the government shutdown that is stretching into its second week and are preparing for worse days ahead.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/08/politics/military-families-government-shutdown?

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'We've gotten to that point': 3 Republicans join Dems calling on Johnson to gavel House in

House Democrats working in Washington this week have been scolding their Republican counterparts for remaining in their home districts during the shutdown instead of doing the people’s business in the nation’s capital. Now, even some Republicans are beginning to question Speaker Mike Johnson’s strategy — and to side with Democrats — saying they, too, should be back in D.C.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/4283583735990-weve-gotten-to-that-point-3-republicans-join-dems-calling-on-johnson-to-gavel-house-in?

? Johnson's back pay guarantee

House Speaker Mike Johnson told us today that "of course" Congress will ensure furloughed federal workers get back pay once the government reopens.

Why it matters: The White House has said back pay isn't guaranteed, but Johnson signaled that furloughed workers shouldn't worry.

• Johnson wasn't familiar with the latest argument from the Trump administration that Congress would need to appropriate the funds.
• But Johnson emphasized that he would move to ensure workers get back pay if necessary.
• "My understanding is federal law has always been pretty settled on that, and it's always custom that furloughed federal employees get back pay," he told us.

State of play: An OMB draft memo, first reported by Axios' Marc Caputo, argued that furloughed federal workers aren't automatically entitled to pay for their time off during a shutdown.

• In emails from the 2019 government shutdown, also first reported by Axios, OMB noted that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) was quietly amended days after passage to clarify that back pay isn't automatic.
• According to OMB's interpretation of the law, Congress would need to explicitly authorize the funds, which Johnson indicated he's prepared to do.

The intrigue: Johnson's comments put him at odds with the White House.

• President Trump told reporters Tuesday that some federal workers "don't deserve to be taken care of."
• At a press conference yesterday, Johnson said federal workers "should not be subjected to harm and financial dire straits because Chuck Schumer wants to play political games."

— Kate Santaliz

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?Thune's conversation starters

Top Democrats are popping Senate Majority Leader John Thune's trial ballons to end the shutdown as quickly as he can float them.

• But it's leading to real discussions among the rank-and-file.

Why it matters: Several Senate Democrats appreciated Thune's comments, even as they're skeptical of the details.

• "It's positive that there are leaders who are recognizing that we need to vote, but I think we need reassurances on what that means actually," Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) told reporters today.
• Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told reporters the idea helps, but that it won't be enough to break the Senate's deadlock.

Zoom in: Thune told us yesterday he was open to bringing full spending bills to the Senate floor. Today, he told Semafor he was considering promising Democrats a future vote on Affordable Care Act subsidies — after a shutdown ends.

• Democratic leaders brushed the ideas aside: "There has not been a single Republican in leadership that has asked for a negotiation, they're floating things through Axios and Semafor," Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told us.
• "Come on, this is getting preposterous," he added.
• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters a promise on a future vote was not enough to end a shutdown.

The bottom line: On assurances to Democrats about an ACA vote, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told us: "That's something that we as rank-and-file members, I think it would make sense to do — good faith gesture."

• But Tillis said Thune should not have to make any kind of formal, written commitment and senators would need to "make sure the expectations right" on how long of an extension they would vote on, for example.

— Stephen Neukam and Stef Kight

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⛲️ Scoop: Cruz's Columbus cleanup

Big news for Hill commuters: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is calling on the Interior Department to clean up Columbus Circle.

• Why it matters: The Columbus Fountain has been dry for nearly two decades, Cruz says. He wants it to flow again.

Zoom in: Cruz, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, is outraged by the overall appearance of Columbus Circle, which many congressional staffers (and reporters) walk across from Union Station to the Capitol.

• Along with Rep. Michael Rulli (R-Ohio), Cruz is introducing legislation to transfer control of the area from the Interior Department to the Transportation Department, which is in charge of Union Station.

— Hans Nichols