"Yesterday, at 5:46PM, the Senate rejected a cloture vote on the Democratic continuing resolution, which in addition to funding government, would extend healthcare support and prohibit impoundment. It was a party line vote. Yesterday, at 6:41PM, the Senate rejected a cloture vote on the Republican continuing resolution. Three Democrats voted with 52 Republicans in favor: Catherine Cortez Masto John Fetterman Angus King Rand Paul voted with Democrats against. And so, at midnight, nonessential functions of the Federal government started to shut down."
"Both NYT and WaPo have pieces explaining that polarization is at the core of the shutdown. That's facile. Three Democrats, certainly moderates, already did vote with Republicans. The six who voted to let Republicans vote for the continuing resolution (and in Jeanne Shaheen's case, also for the CR) in March - Dick Durbin, Kirsten Gillibrand, Maggie Hassan, Gary Peters, Brian Schatz, as well as Chuck Schumer - could well cave now,"
The Senate rejected cloture on both Democratic and Republican continuing resolutions, with three Democrats joining 52 Republicans on the GOP measure and Rand Paul siding with Democrats against it. At midnight, nonessential federal functions began shutting down. Polarization is commonly cited as the core cause, but several moderates and institutionalist senators have already broken with party lines and could change course. The most aggressive shutdown advocates sit on the far right of the Senate. Much will depend on what becomes visible because of the shutdown and how public opinion deviates from beltway expectations. Democrats have largely failed to foreground the power of the purse and a message about restoring pre–Big Ugly Bill funding levels to protect healthcare and rural hospitals.
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