Senate Democrats on Friday blocked a Republican plan to fund the military as the federal government entered its 16th day of shutdown.
Democrat senators rejected legislation that would have ensured troops received paychecks.
The annual defense appropriations bill failed largely along party lines, with only a few Democrats joining Republicans.
Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) backed the GOP plan.
While President Donald Trump made a temporary move earlier this month to guarantee service members were paid, that measure is limited and will not last indefinitely.
Senators left Washington after the short work week, with no deal in place and the shutdown set to continue.
GOP Sought to Advance Broader Funding
Had the measure cleared its first procedural vote, Republicans planned to use it as a vehicle to add additional spending bills to reopen other parts of the government.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said throughout the week that his conference was prepared to move forward with funding for departments including Transportation, Health and Human Services, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Commerce.
“If they want to stop the defense bill, I don’t think it’s very good optics for them, obviously,” Thune said.
But Democrats refused, demanding assurances on what Republicans would attach to the package before agreeing to proceed.
Before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said:
“They need unanimous consent to add anything to the defense bill.
“They don’t have it.”
Democrats Dig In
Democrats’ blockade marks the 10th time they have blocked Republican efforts to reopen the government since the shutdown began October 1.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) admitted the deadlock comes from a lack of bipartisan agreement.
“We don’t have an agreement on anything,” Murphy said.
“So obviously we can’t.
“They’re still not negotiating.”
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) argued the defense bill was not the right starting point.
“We should be focused on fixing these healthcare premiums and getting the government back open,” Kelly said.
“And, you know, just to bring up the one bill without the others is something we typically don’t do.”
Democrats have tied their opposition in part to Obamacare subsidies, insisting Republicans must commit to extending them before negotiations continue.
Republicans say Democrats’ demands amount to a refusal to negotiate and a deliberate effort to prolong the shutdown.
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