On Tuesday, October 28, 2025, the U.S. Senate once again found itself at a standstill as Democrats blocked, for the thirteenth time, a House-passed bill aimed at reopening the federal government. The deadlock came despite mounting pressure from the nation’s largest federal workers union and growing anxiety over the real-world consequences of a shutdown that has now stretched into its fourth week.
The House measure, designed to fund the government through November 21, failed in a 54-45 vote—falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Only three members of the Democratic caucus—Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, and Angus King of Maine (an independent who caucuses with Democrats)—broke ranks to support the bill, according to Nexstar Media Inc.
The continuing impasse has left more than 800,000 federal workers and their families in limbo, as critical deadlines loom and the effects of the shutdown ripple through the nation’s economy and public services. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union that represents the bulk of the federal workforce, has become increasingly vocal, urging lawmakers to put aside political gamesmanship and reopen the government immediately.
“It’s time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown today. No half measures, and no gamesmanship,” AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a statement on Monday, October 27, as reported by The Hill. The AFGE’s call for action was seized upon by Republican leaders, who argued that the union’s position underscored the urgency of ending the standoff.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) quoted Kelley’s statement on the Senate floor, declaring, “The path forward for Congress is clear, reopen the government immediately under a clean continuing resolution that allows continued debate on larger issues.” Thune insisted that Republicans would only enter negotiations on the looming expiration of health insurance tax credits after Democrats agreed to reopen the government.
Yet Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have remained steadfast in their demand that any deal to end the shutdown must include negotiations on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Schumer told Kelley directly that Congress needs to ensure both that federal workers get paid and that the nation avoids a health care crisis. “We can provide all the help—provide pay and furlough and back pay for federal workers—and fix the health care crisis,” Schumer said at a press conference, as cited by The Hill.
The stakes are high for millions of Americans. The open enrollment period for the ACA marketplace begins on November 1, and experts warn that if the subsidies are not extended, health insurance premiums could rise for as many as 24 million people. “Americans are on the brink of a health care crisis unlike we have seen in our lifetimes,” Schumer warned before the vote, according to Nexstar Media Inc.
For the AFGE, the situation is particularly fraught. The union has long been a political ally of Democrats, supporting their campaigns and policy priorities. But the shutdown has put the union in the unusual position of siding with Republicans—at least in terms of supporting a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to get the government running again. Still, not all federal employee unions have taken as strong a stance as the AFGE. The National Treasury Employees Union, for example, has continued to urge a bipartisan agreement that would provide agencies with the funding they need, but has not explicitly endorsed the Republican CR.
The political calculus is complicated by deep-seated distrust of the Trump administration’s approach to budget negotiations. Democrats point to the administration’s firing of thousands of federal workers and attempts to rescind appropriated funds as evidence that a simple CR could leave workers vulnerable. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), whose state is home to one of the largest populations of federal employees, voiced these concerns bluntly: “They do not want us to pass a CR and then have President Trump just fire more people next week. If we did that, they would come to me and say, ‘Why the hell did you do that?’”
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) was even more pointed in his criticism, accusing Republicans of hypocrisy. “Republicans fired arbitrarily, thousands, tens of thousands of employees at the beginning of the year, cut them off from health insurance, didn’t give any type of severance, and now they’re turning around saying, ‘Oh my god, we’re here to fight for the government employees.’ Like, bulls‑‑‑,” Gallego said, according to The Hill. He added, “Make sure that we get health care premiums at the right level for our 24 million Americans. That’s what we’re focused on.”
Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), whom Republicans had hoped might support their CR, said he was not surprised by the AFGE’s position, noting that he’d had early conversations with union leaders. Peters, like many Democrats, voted against advancing a separate proposal known as the Shutdown Fairness Act, introduced by Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), which would have paid essential federal workers during the shutdown. Johnson has since offered a new proposal to pay both essential and furloughed employees, which some Democrats have signaled they might consider.
Meanwhile, the real-world impacts of the shutdown are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Lawmakers from both parties have warned that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will begin to expire on November 1, leaving vulnerable families at risk. Airports across the country are seeing more frequent delays as air traffic controllers struggle under the strain of reduced staffing. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that the administration will not have enough funds to cover the paychecks of military service members by November 15. And the Federal Reserve, which relies on federal data to make economic decisions, may soon be forced to act without critical information on labor, production, and exports.
Despite the mounting pressure, House Democratic leaders have shown no signs of backing down. Representative Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), the Democratic whip, acknowledged the difficult position faced by union members but placed the blame squarely on the GOP. “We certainly understand where those union members are coming from and the difficult dilemma they have,” Clark said. “But this is the situation we’re in with a Republican Party that refuses to even come to the table. So we hear the union—we stand with them. And we implore our colleagues to come back to work.”
As the shutdown enters its 29th day, the standoff in Washington shows little sign of resolution. Both sides remain entrenched, and the nation’s federal workers—and the millions of Americans who depend on them—are left waiting for a breakthrough that, for now, seems stubbornly out of reach.