Senate fails to advance GOP funding bill for 8th time as shutdown drags on

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told reporters there is a "lack of trust" between the two parties — and she understands why Democrats are hesitant.

"If you're a Democrat, you're looking at it and you say, 'Why? Why am I going to try to be helpful if Mr. Vought at OMB is just going to do a back-door move and rescind what we've been working on?" said Murkowski. "There's a lack of trust. Does it make it harder to come to terms on hard things like a government shutdown? Absolutely."

Murkowski was referring to White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, who has been involved in rescissions packages aimed at clawing back funding appropriated by Congress. Democrats have railed against this process — and Murkowski has criticized the administration for its "pocket rescissions," a controversial tactic to unilaterally decline to spend funds approved by Congress.

Since last week, approximately 600 employees with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have received layoff notices that were not later rescinded, internal CDC officials not authorized to speak to the media told CBS News on Tuesday.

According to the officials, about 1,000 CDC employees initially received reduction-in-force notices, a government term for layoffs, on Oct. 10.

However, within about 24 hours, hundreds of those notices were rescinded, leaving the total number of layoffs in the agency since Oct. 10 sitting at about 600, the officials said.

CDC programs that have seen staffing cuts include, but are not limited to, the CDC's offices in Washington, D.C., the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention, the National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey, and the CDC's human resources department, the CDC officials told CBS News.

Among those cut were D.C.-based employees who served as intermediaries between the agency and Congress, often providing members with data and information about the CDC's work, the officials told CBS News. For example, they were employees who provided Congress with information about the measles outbreak earlier this year.

In a media call Tuesday, AFGE Local 2883, the union that represents CDC employees, told reporters that it estimates the CDC has lost approximately 3,000 employees so far this year to resignations and layoffs, reducing the agency's staffing levels by about 23%. CDC officials also confirmed that number to CBS News.

The CDC is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

By Michael Kaplan, Caitlin Huey-Burns

A Senate vote to move forward on the House-passed bill to fund the government and end the shutdown fell short for the eighth time, with no new Democrats offering their support.

The vote was 49-45. Two Democrats joined Republicans to advance the bill, and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against the measure. Senate Majority Leader John Thune switched his vote to no, a procedural move that allows him to bring up the bill for another vote.

Six senators did not vote, including Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, one of three Democrats who have supported the GOP-backed bill in recent votes.

The defeat of the procedural motion means the shutdown will last at least another day. It's not yet clear when the Senate might try to advance the bill again.

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona told reporters that President Trump should get more involved in negotiations to reopen the government.

"I think he's the key," Kelly said, adding that House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune will listen to Mr. Trump. "He needs to get engaged on it."

Kelly also pointed to Mr. Trump's trip to Israel and Egypt after brokering an Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

"This week, he's back from the Middle East. I would say that was a big success," Kelly said. "Now it's time to focus on making sure that Americans have health care next year."

The Senate has begun a vote on whether to advance the House-passed Republican bill, which has failed seven times over the past few weeks. Three Democrats have joined Republicans in voting to move it forward, a number that hasn't changed since the start of the shutdown. There are no indications the outcome will be different this time around.

Unlike past votes, senators will not consider whether to move forward on Democrats' counterproposal. That alternative has not attracted any Republican support in the past.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters at the Capitol that changing the deadline for extending funding in the House-passed continuing resolution is "a point of discussion," given that two weeks of the seven-week extension in the stopgap bill have already passed. The House bill would extend government funding at current levels until Nov. 21 to give lawmakers more time to approve new appropriations bills.

Thune said adjusting the Nov. 21 date is "certainly something I've expressed an openness about."

"We're probably going to need more time to get appropriations going. Every day that we lose here, every day they keep the government shut down, is the day we don't spend time actually doing a regular appropriations process," Thune said.

If the Senate decides to make any changes to the date, the House would need to vote on the revised CR to approve the adjustment.

"We keep losing time on the clock, which could be used to do the normal appropriations process," Thune added.

Thune was also asked whether President Trump has the authority to redirect funds from other programs to pay members of the military. He said it's his understanding that the administration is trying to find funding that is "out of areas of the budget that obviously they will replenish and pay back."

"These are decisions that get forced upon you when the government shuts down," the GOP leader said. "The administration is having to make some hard decisions."

He said that paying troops is a priority for the administration, and that "the longer this drags on, the more complicated that decision-making process becomes."

"Those are all decisions they're forced to make. And I'm sure they're going to make them consistent with their priorities. That's what every administration does," Thune added.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune criticized Democrats for their position in the stalemate over how to fund the government on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon as the chamber reconvened after the long weekend.

"Democrats like to whine that Republicans aren't negotiating," Thune said. But he added that negotiation "is what you do when each side has a list of demands and you need to meet in the middle."

Thune said Republicans "haven't put forward any demands."

"Only Democrats have made demands," the South Dakota Republican said. "And by the way, very expensive demands. And they've taken government funding hostage in an attempt to force through their partisan measures."

Republicans have urged Senate Democrats to support their measure to fund the government until Nov. 21, which they've touted as a "clean" continuing resolution free of partisan demands. But Democrats have insisted that an extension of health insurance tax credits be a part of any legislation to reopen the government.

Thune cited Democrats' previous aversion to letting the government shut down.

"Democrats were against shutdowns when it suited their political purposes, and now that it suits their political purposes — they think — to keep the government closed, now they support shutdowns," he said.

"I suspect their political calculations are flawed," Thune added.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries railed against House Republicans at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, accusing them of being "on vacation," while "House Democrats are on duty here in Washington, D.C."

"Democrats from all across the country will be here in person, meeting in just a few hours and throughout the week because we want to reopen the government," Jeffries said. "And the question has to be asked, why in the world are House Republicans still on vacation?"

House GOP leaders canceled votes this week, keeping the chamber out of session for another week after lawmakers approved a measure to fund the government last month. Republicans argue the House has already done its job, putting pressure on Senate Democrats to support the measure in the upper chamber. But Jeffries called House Democrats back to Washington this week. They're set to gather for a caucus meeting Tuesday evening.

Jeffries reiterated that Democrats are ready to negotiate, and remain committed to finding a bipartisan path forward to reopen the government and address health care concerns, but "there has to be a willingness amongst Republicans to actually have a conversation."

"We are open about having a good-faith discussion with our Republican colleagues to hear their ideas about reopening the government while at the same time decisively addressing the Republican health care crisis," Jeffries said.

Jeffries argued that the Republicans have a "credibility issue" when it comes to health care and the Affordable Care Act. He said Republicans have spent the last 15 years "trying to repeal and displace people off the Affordable Care Act.""Which is why if we're going to resolve this issue, it can't just be a Republican wing and a prayer," Jeffries said, advocating for legislative action to extend the health insurance tax credits.

The union representing U.S. Capitol Police called on congressional Democrats and Republicans to start negotiating an end to the shutdown, noting officers are protecting them without pay.

"The longer the shutdown drags on, the harder it becomes for my officers. Banks and landlords do not give my officers a pass because we are in shutdown — they still expect to be paid. Unfortunately, Congress and the Administration are not in active negotiations, and everyone is waiting for the other side to blink. That is not how we are going to end this shutdown, and the sooner they start talking, the quicker we can end this thing," union chairman Gus Papathanasiou said in a statement.

Papathanasiou said officers received a partial paycheck on Friday. Officers won't receive another until the shutdown ends.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland led a news conference on Tuesday outside the headquarters of the Office of Management and Budget with other lawmakers who represent Maryland and Virginia. The Democrats blasted Republicans and the White House for the shutdown and its impact on federal workers.

"When Donald Trump shuts down the federal government, the Maryland and Virginia delegation come together and step up," Van Hollen said, citing the high number of federal employees who live in the area.

Van Hollen lauded federal employees for how they "support our veterans, they help make sure our food and water is safe. They help develop treatments and cures to diseases that impact every American family, and the list goes on and on." He said when President Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought "viciously attack our federal employees, they are attacking the American people — that is what they are doing."

"And this shutdown is different from earlier ones," Van Hollen said, accusing the administration of "using this moment to terrorize these patriotic federal employees."

Layoffs that the Trump administration had warned would take place because of the shutdown began late last week. On Friday, the administration disclosed that seven agencies had begun issuing reduction-in-force notices to more than 4,000 workers.

"In previous shutdowns, federal workers got furloughed. They did not get fired," Van Hollen said.

"Firing and threatening to fire federal employees is part of the Trump administration's campaign to inflict trauma on our federal workforce," he added.

Van Hollen called on the administration to "stop attacking federal employees, stop attacking the American people, and start negotiating to reopen the federal government."

Naomi Pyle isn't sure if her husband's next paycheck from the U.S. Navy will arrive on Wednesday.

The couple, who are raising two children in San Diego, California, were already struggling to make ends meet before the government shut down on October 1, Pyle, 30, told CBS News, adding that the family won't be able to cover all of their expenses if he doesn't get paid on time.

President Trump last week sought to allay such concerns, writing on social media that his administration had "identified funds" to pay military service members and directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure paychecks go out on Oct. 15 as scheduled. While the president did not offer additional details, the White House Office of Management and Budget told the Associated Press it would use Pentagon research and development funds to pay troops "in the event the funding lapse continues past October 15th."

Still, for some service member families, even the possibility of missing a single paycheck is fueling concerns about money.

"We were already living paycheck to paycheck, so this doesn't help at all," Pyle told CBS News. "We have to pick and choose which bills to pay now."

Read more here.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said he does not plan to change his shutdown strategy, saying at his daily news conference that "I don't have anything to negotiate."

"We're not playing games. They're playing a game," he said.

The House has been out of session since Sept. 19, when it passed the GOP measure to fund the government until Nov. 21. Johnson has repeatedly extended the break, arguing that the House has done its job and it's up to Senate Democrats to provide the handful of votes needed to end the shutdown. But Senate Democrats remain dug in on their demand for Republicans to negotiate on the expiring Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies.

House GOP leadership continued to hammer Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, ahead of the upper chamber's eighth vote on the House-passed measure.

Johnson said Schumer's refusal to support the continuing resolution "is plainly and simply an exercise in image rehabilitation" with the leftwing base, arguing Schumer is trying to fend off a primary challenge from the left.

"He is the broken status quo," Johnson said.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, added: "Our country deserves a whole lot better than what we're getting from the failed leadership. And Speaker Johnson said, maybe it's because Chuck Schumer has been around too long and wants to hold onto the old way of doing things."

The Senate is reconvening at 3 p.m., and will take a procedural vote on the House-passed GOP funding bill at 5:30 p.m., according to a notice from Majority Whip John Barrasso's office.

In previous rounds of voting, the chamber has also taken votes on whether to advance the Democrats' version of a funding bill. But Barrasso's notice made no mention of considering the Democratic bill this time around.

The House hasn't been in session since Sept. 19, after passing a measure to fund the government until Nov. 21. And the House is still on recess this week after GOP leadership canceled votes. Republicans say the lower chamber has already done its job and is continuing to pressure the Senate to pass the bill.

Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called House Democrats back to Washington this week, writing in a letter to colleagues Saturday that they would return to Washington and meet Tuesday evening to "discuss the path forward."

Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both New York Democrats, say the way to resolve the shutdown is through negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House. Republicans contend there's nothing to negotiate, since the House has already passed a measure to keep the government funded.

Jeffries reiterated his position on MSNBC Monday, saying Republican leaders "need to sit down and negotiate" to reopen the government, saying they have "basically gone radio silent" since the White House meeting ahead of the shutdown.

"Republicans are nowhere to be found," Jeffries said. "They literally are not in Washington and have not been in Washington for the last several weeks and have no intention of being there this week."

The Senate is returning to Washington Tuesday afternoon and is expected to hold a procedural vote in the evening on a House-passed measure to fund the government, trying again to end the impasse after the bill repeatedly fell short of the 60 votes needed last week.

Republicans have attempted to peel off enough Democrats to push through a House-passed measure to keep the government funded until Nov. 21. But they've been unable to pick up any new support from Democrats since just before the shutdown began. In the Senate, 60 votes are needed to advance most measures, and with only 53 Republicans in the Senate, support from Democrats is essential.

Just one Democrat initially crossed the aisle to support the bill in a vote last month. But on the next vote on Sept. 30, two more joined Republicans. One Republican, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, has consistently voted against the measure to fund the government. Five more Democrats are needed to advance the measure.

But Tuesday's vote marks a change in approach: it's the first time the chamber will take a vote on the legislation that passed the House without also voting on a competing measure from Democrats. The Democrats' bill would fund the government until Oct. 31 and includes an extension of the expiring health insurance tax credits.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Coast Guard personnel will receive paychecks this week from funds in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that passed earlier this year.

Over the weekend, President Trump directed the Pentagon to pay military personnel despite the government shutdown, but the Coast Guard falls under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security.

"President Trump did not want any of our military to go without pay as a result of Democrats' political theater, and we at DHS worked out an innovative solution to make sure that didn't happen," Noem wrote Monday on X. "Thanks to President Trump's leadership and the One Big Beautiful Bill, the brave men and women of the US Coast Guard will not miss a paycheck this week as they continue to carry out their critical homeland security and military missions."

Noem did not disclose the source of the funding for the paychecks.