Government shutdown Day 3: Senate to vote again as OMB halts $2.1B in Chicago transit funding
On the third day of the partial government shutdown, OMB Director Russ Vought announced a pause of $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago transit projects as the Senate prepares to vote Friday on rival stopgaps — the House GOP bill to fund the government through Nov. 21 and a Democratic alternative through Oct. 31 that would make expiring ACA premium tax credits permanent. Lawmakers engaged in limited bipartisan talks amid heated partisan disputes over whether Democratic demands would expand healthcare to undocumented immigrants, while leaders warned of looming federal layoffs, disruptions to agency operations and the possible withholding of the September jobs report if the shutdown continues.
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🔍 Key Facts
- The government entered its third day of shutdown; Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to bring the House‑passed GOP continuing resolution back to the floor and the Senate is expected to hold procedural and funding votes Friday afternoon (after 1:30 p.m.) on both the GOP stopgap (funding roughly flat through Nov. 21) and a Democratic alternative that would extend funding to Oct. 31 and make expiring ACA premium tax credits permanent — Democrats say the ACA subsidies must be addressed now.
- Senate floor activity was minimal Thursday as many lawmakers observed Yom Kippur; Thune said he would likely not keep senators in town over the weekend if the Republican measure fails and may send them home, though a bipartisan group of nearly a dozen senators briefly huddled on the floor and leaders signaled the possibility of talks.
- House Democrats sought unanimous consent to pass a short‑term continuing resolution to Oct. 31 with policy riders, but Rep. Warren Davidson was poised to object and Rep. Morgan Griffith gavelled the pro‑forma session out, ending the effort.
- OMB Director Russ Vought announced a pause of $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago transit projects, including the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization program.
- Republican leaders (including Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Tom Emmer) publicly accused Senate Democrats of blocking funding to restore Medicaid/healthcare to undocumented immigrants; Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, called those claims false, and conservative White House figures amplified the accusation on social media.
- The House GOP stopgap would fund the government roughly flat through Nov. 21 and includes about $88 million for enhanced security for lawmakers, the White House and the judiciary; the measure faces at least one GOP opponent in the Senate (Sen. Rand Paul) even as other Republicans (including VP‑aligned voices) urged reopening the government.
- Reported and potential shutdown impacts: the Bureau of Labor Statistics may withhold the September jobs report if the shutdown continues; Education Department furloughed workers reported their out‑of‑office messages were changed to include partisan language blaming 'Democrat Senators'; and the White House press secretary warned mass federal layoffs are 'likely ... in the thousands.'
- The partisan tenor escalated on social media and in public remarks, with President Trump posting mocking messages and other officials (including Karoline Leavitt and Stephen Miller) posting claims about Democrats' policy aims that became part of the public dispute.
📍 Contextual Background
- The United States federal government entered a partial shutdown on 2025-10-01 after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.
📰 Sources (11)
Government shutdown live updates with Senate set to vote on Day 3
New information:
- Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought announced a pause of $2.1 billion for Chicago transit projects (Red Line Extension and Red and Purple Modernization) via a post on X.
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that mass federal layoffs are 'likely going to be in the thousands.'
- The Senate is expected to hold additional procedural and funding votes Friday afternoon (after 1:30 p.m.) on both the House‑passed GOP stopgap (through Nov. 21) and the Democratic alternative (through Oct. 31) that would make expiring ACA premium tax credits permanent.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it's 'unlikely' the Senate will work through the weekend if the Republican measure fails to advance; the chamber observed Yom Kippur and did not vote Thursday.
Here’s the latest.
New information:
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he would send senators home for the weekend if Democrats again block the GOP stopgap, indicating Senate schedule plans for Oct. 3–6, 2025.
- The article reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics is likely to withhold the September jobs report if the shutdown continues.
- President Trump posted mocking social‑media messages late Thursday that the article links to the heightened partisan tenor around the shutdown.
- Department of Education furloughed workers had their out‑of‑office email messages changed without their knowledge to include partisan language blaming 'Democrat Senators.'
Government shutdown enters 3rd day as Senate stalemate over Obamacare subsidies drags on
New information:
- Shutdown has progressed into its third day (update on duration).
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune plans to bring the GOP continuing resolution up for another vote on Friday.
- Senate floor activity was minimal Thursday (open less than three hours) as many lawmakers observed Yom Kippur.
- Thune indicated he does not plan to keep lawmakers in town over the weekend if the House GOP bill fails again; Schumer and most Senate Democrats continue to insist ACA premium tax credits be addressed now.
Democrats shut down government over healthcare for illegal immigrants, House GOP whip says
New information:
- House Majority Whip Tom Emmer publicly accused Senate Democrats and Chuck Schumer of shutting down the government to restore healthcare (Medicaid) to undocumented immigrants, calling Schumer a 'scared old man' in quoted remarks.
- Emmer asserted the Senate Democrats' alternative proposal would remove verification requirements and 'put 1.4 million illegals back on Medicaid,' citing a CBO estimate as the basis for the figure.
- Emmer tied the verification changes to the Working Families Tax Cut Act (aka 'One Big Beautiful Bill') and predicted political consequences for Democratic leadership (specifically Schumer).
Republicans relishing role reversal in shutdown fight
New information:
- On-the-record framing that Republicans are 'relishing' a role reversal in which GOP leaders implore Democrats to reopen the government
- Direct quotes from Speaker Mike Johnson urging reopening and saying 'We want to protect hardworking federal workers.'
- Identification of Sen. Rand Paul as the lone Republican opposing the GOP-backed short-term continuing resolution, and on-the-record quotes from VP J.D. Vance supporting reopening
Johnson accuses Schumer of blocking ‘real discussion’ to keep government open
New information:
- Direct on‑the‑record interview quotes from House Speaker Mike Johnson accusing Sen. Chuck Schumer of refusing to vote to end the shutdown to appease the far‑left.
- Johnson said Democrats had voted on a similar measure 13 times under the prior administration and framed the current refusal as a "selfish political calculation."
- Johnson reported discussing the issue with President Trump and said Trump was 'very bothered' by Schumer's stance.
First bipartisan shutdown negotiations surface on Capitol Hill after funding bill blocked again
New information:
- A group of nearly a dozen senators publicly huddled on the Senate floor — described as the first visible bipartisan negotiations since the shutdown began.
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D‑Conn.) was quoted directly: "There are glimmers of hope, and I think they're bipartisan."
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expected to speak with Sen. Chuck Schumer 'in the next day or two,' indicating leaders may open formal talks.
- Senators noted the Senate will recess for Yom Kippur and is expected to return Friday, with the possibility of votes into the weekend on a CR that would extend funding to Nov. 21.
Chuck Schumer slams GOP's claim that Democrats want to give healthcare to illegals as an 'effing lie'
New information:
- Direct, on‑the‑record quote from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling GOP claims a 'total, absolute, effing lie.'
- Identification of specific White House figures (Karoline Leavitt and Stephen Miller) who posted on X asserting Democrats wanted healthcare for undocumented immigrants and were blocking funding.
- Schumer outlined two Democratic priorities during the shutdown: negotiating healthcare fixes for Americans and mounting public political pressure (TV, social media, protests).
Speaker Johnson, ABC’s Stephanopoulos clash over government shutdown, illegal immigrants getting healthcare
New information:
- Direct transcript-style quotes from Speaker Mike Johnson accusing Democrats of prioritizing healthcare for 'illegal aliens' over funding the government.
- Johnson's claim that '44 Senate Democrats voted to reject a clean, non-partisan, continuing-funding resolution' and his framing tying the CR dispute to Medicaid/ACA changes.
- ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos' on-air rebuttal that the Democratic proposal does not make illegal immigrants eligible for ACA subsidies, with an explicit back-and-forth recorded.
House Democrats' government funding proposal goes down in flames with shutdown deadline in hours
New information:
- Democrats sought unanimous consent to pass a short-term continuing resolution extending funding to Oct. 31 with policy riders.
- Rep. Warren Davidson (R‑OH) was identified as the Republican poised to object to unanimous consent; Rep. Morgan Griffith (R‑VA) presiding gavelled the pro‑forma session out, ending the effort.
- The article details Democrats' specific demands: extension of pandemic-era ACA premium subsidies, reversal of recent Medicaid cuts, and restoring federal funding to NPR and PBS.
- Notes the House‑passed GOP CR would fund the government roughly flat until Nov. 21 and includes about $88 million for enhanced security for lawmakers, the White House and the judiciary.