Senate blocks government funding bill as US shutdown matches 35-day record

WASHINGTON

The US Senate on Tuesday rejected a House-passed Republican funding bill for the 14th time to end the government shutdown, matching the longest in US history at 35 days.

By a vote of 54-44, the Senate did not invoke cloture on the motion to move forward H.R.5371, Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026.

Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, Angus King and John Fetterman joined Republicans in supporting the measure. Republican Sen. Rand Paul voted against the bill.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis did not vote.

The shutdown will break the record Wednesday with a 35-day federal closure, in late 2018 and early 2019 during President Donald Trump's first term.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the vote Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said: "This is now day 35 of the Democrat shutdown, and I'll be honest with you, I don't think any of us expected that it would drag on this long.

"We didn't believe. We couldn't have imagined it's now tied for the longest shutdown in US history," he added.

Bringing the shutdown to an end will require both parties in the Senate to reach a compromise that Trump will sign.

The shutdown began Oct. 1 after a breakdown in negotiations on federal spending priorities. Thousands of federal workers have since been furloughed, working without pay, while government services have been curtailed or suspended.