Oct. 28 (UPI) — The US Senate voted for the 13th time and failed to reopen the government on Tuesday.
Democrats will not back down from their insistence on health care funding, and Republicans will not agree with it. The government shutdown is on the 28th.
Senators voted 54-45 on the funding patch that would fund the government through Nov. 21. 60 votes are needed to be approved.
Three members of the Democratic caucus voted in favor of the House-passed funding bill: Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa.; Catherine Cortez Masto, Democrat of Nevada; and Angus King, I-Maine.
The vote came a day after America’s largest union asked lawmakers to reopen the government. The American Federation of Government Employees represents 800,000 federal workers.
“Both political parties have made their views clear and there is still no clear end in sight,” Chairman Everett Kelley said in a statement.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Republicans must begin negotiations on the health care issue.
“Republicans don’t even want to talk about fixing health care,” The Hill reported Schumer as saying. “Americans are on the brink of a health care crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetimes.”
Enrollment for Marketplace health insurance plans begins November 1. Without an extension of the subsidy, enrollees are expected to see much higher rates this year.
On Friday, military personnel will lose their pay. On Saturday, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will stop distributing funds to states, leaving hungry people without help.
Some senators have discussed voting on stand-alone bills that will help segments of people. Some Democrats have said they are willing to vote in favor of legislation from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., that would fund SNAP during the shutdown, Politico reported.
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Tuesday that’s not true.
“There is not a high level of interest in doing carve-outs, or so-called ‘rifle shoots’. I think most people realize that the way out of this mess is to vote to open the government.”
On Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported that air traffic controllers are feeling the strain of working but not getting paid. While many declare themselves sick, flights are canceled.
On Friday, President Donald Trump reported that an anonymous donor had given $130 million to help pay military personnel. But it’s not enough to pay everyone and its legality is in question.