U.S. government shutdown enters its 13th deadlocked vote

According to The Hill, Democratic senators voted again regarding the House-passed bill to fund the federal government, amid growing pressure from major federal labor unions to end the shutdown.

The bill, which would fund the government through November 21, failed once more with 54 votes against and 45 in favor. It needed 60 votes to pass. Only three Democratic senators supported the measure in the latest vote.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the vote that Republicans must begin negotiations on extending healthcare subsidy deadlines for federal employees to return to work. He warned that Republicans refuse to even discuss healthcare, and the U.S. is approaching a crisis “unlike anything we have ever seen.”

In response, Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune reiterated that Republican leaders will only discuss the imminent expiration of health tax credits if Democrats agree to reopen the government.

Tuesday’s vote took place amid mounting pressure on Congress to end the shutdown. Lawmakers from both parties warned that benefits under the SNAP food assistance program will run out on November 1, and airports nationwide are expected to face further delays due to the shutdown’s impact on air traffic controllers.

Meanwhile, a coalition of Democratic-controlled states filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing federal officials of illegally withholding emergency reserves to continue food assistance benefits.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Jackson warned that without action, millions of children could go hungry. He said nearly 600,000 children in the state could be without food within days because the U.S. Department of Agriculture is engaging in illegal shutdown politics.

The states argue that the federal government has a $5 billion contingency fund that should be used to cover the $8 billion needed for November payments.