Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Mike Bedigan,Rachel Dobkin and Joe Sommerlad

Government shutdown live: Speaker Johnson says Schumer ‘handed Trump the keys’ as he cheers chance to ‘downsize’

Donald Trump Government Shutdown Chuck Schumer JD Vance Medicaid (Organization)

Chuck Schumer has provided Trump with an opportunity to “downsize the government,” thanks to the ongoing shutdown, Mike Johnson has said, adding that the House Minority Leader had “handed keys to the kingdom” to the president.

“If he makes the decision to shut the federal government down he is shutting down the legislative branch and he is giving the authority to the executive, “ Johnson told CNN Wednesday. “Is it fool-hardy for him to do that? Of course it is. Could it backfire fantastically? Yes.”

The shutdown has been ongoing for more than 12 hours.

It comes as a new Marist Poll found that nearly 4 in 10 of Americans (38 percent) blame the GOP for the shutdown of the federal government, despite Republicans working overtime to lay the blame at the feet of the Democrats.

The shutdown began at midnight last night, after the GOP put forth a bill that was already approved by the House of Representatives, only for it to fail in a 55 to 45 vote in the upper chamber, five shy of the 60 votes needed to pass.

Democrats have demanded the reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful, Bill,” and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: KEY POINTS

  • US government in shutdown after stopgap funding bill fails in the Senate
  • Vance blames Democrats and says air traffic controllers ‘no longer getting paid’
  • Trump warns of mass federal layoffs
  • What is a shutdown? Here’s how it will impact most Americans
  • Jeffries and Schumer accuse Trump of ‘erratic and unhinged’ behavior over trolling

Democrats once again block Republican spending bill

17:45 , Eric Garcia

Senate Democrats once again blocked a partisan Republican spending bill Wednesday afternoon.

The bill was the same piece of legislation that failed Tuesday evening and triggered a government shutdown. Republicans in the House of Representatives had passed the spending bill in the middle of last month with no Democratic input before leaving for the Jewish High Holidays and have yet to return.

Once again, only three members of the Democratic caucus–Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Fetterman (D-Penn.)–voted for the stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution.

"It's a tough decision, everybody's going to have to make their own decision," Cortez Masto told The Independent. When asked if she trusts her Republican colleagues, she said "you tell me.

"They're already entrenched in their positions, unfortunately, and not thinking about the American public," she said.

Schumer has handed Trump 'keys of the kingdom' with government shutdown

17:30 , Mike Bedigan

Chuck Schumer has provided the president with an opportunity to “downsize the government,” thanks to shutdown, Mike Johnson has told CNN.

Schumer has “handed keys to the kingdom” to the president, the Speaker said Wednesday.

“If he makes the decision to shut the federal government down he is shutting down the legislative branch and he is giving the authority to the executive.

“Is it fool-hardy for him to do that? Of course it is. Could it backfire fantastically? Yes.”

OBM announces $18 billion for NYC transport projects to be put on hold

17:22 , Mike Bedigan

The Trump administration has put $18 billion for New York City rail tunnel and Second Avenue subway projects on hold, as the government shutdown continues.

Russel Vought, OBM director, announced the news on X, writing: “Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles. More info to come soon.”

Senate rejects Democrat counter-proposal on funding

17:09 , Mike Bedigan

A Democratic counterproposal to fund the government has been rejected after the Senate voted 47-53.

Voting is now underway on the House-passed GOP stopgap spending bill, though this is also expected to fail.

The government shutdown has now been going on for more than 12 hours.

Ted Cruz says ‘Let’s stop attacking pedophiles’ in embarrassing gaffe during rant about crime

16:59 , Mike Bedigan

Ted Cruz made an embarrassing gaffe at a Senate hearing on Tuesday when he told his fellow lawmakers to “stop attacking pedophiles.”

The senator did not correct himself after the error and instead moved on to discuss Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C.

Cruz was making an impassioned speech about reaching a “bipartisan agreement” on crime before he made the blunder.

Owen Scott has the story:

Ted Cruz says ‘stop attacking pedophiles’ in embarrassing gaffe

Recap: Watch The Independent's Andrew Feinberg with the government shutdown latest

16:42 , Mike Bedigan

Jeffries prods JD Vance after object on Trump’s desk shocks him during shutdown meeting: ‘Don’t you got a problem with this?’

16:30 , Mike Bedigan

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that he and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer were baffled when a “Trump 2028” hat “randomly appeared” on the Oval Office desk during their last-ditch meeting with the president to avert a government shutdown.

The Democratic leaders met with President Donald Trump Monday in a futile attempt to avoid the shutdown, which came into effect at midnight after a stopgap funding bill failed in the Senate.

More from Rhian Lubin here:

Jeffries prods Vance about item on Trump’s desk: ‘Don’t you got a problem with this?’

House to return to session next week, says Johnson

16:14 , Mike Bedigan

Mike Johnson said Wednesday that the House would return to session next week, after he canceled planned votes this week.

“There is nothing truly that we can do, much, on the floor while the lights are almost literally out here. We have to open the government,” he told reporters at a press conference in front of the Capitol.

Mike Johnson makes dire prediction amid government shutdown about what Democrats will do to Trump if they retake House

16:05 , Mike Bedigan

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson warned Fox News viewers that Democrats would likely attempt to impeach President Donald Trump if they reclaim Congress in the 2026 midterms, as he seeks to blame his opposing party for the government shutdown.

Shortly before the parties’ bitter battle over funding led to a shutdown on Tuesday, Johnson told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that he was confident Republicans could maintain control of the House of Representatives in the midterms.

Read the full story from Ariana Baio here:

Mike Johnson predicts Democrats will impeach Trump if they retake House

Johnson says there are 'no gimmicks or tricks' in GOP's proposed bill

15:55 , Mike Bedigan

Speaker Mike Johnson says that there are “no gimmicks or tricks” in the GOP’s proposed spending bill, saying that Republicans acted in “good faith” by not filling it their own policy priorities.

“We could have done that,” he told reporters Wednesday.

“I had a lot of colleagues that wanted to load it up with our priorities but the leaders decided that we should do this in good faith simply to buy more time for the appropriations process to work.

“That’s all this is so there’s nothing to negotiate there’s nothing that we could pull out of this bill to make it leaner or cleaner, it’s absolutely sparkling clean and it’s only 24 pages long.”

Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say GOP to blame for shut down

15:44 , Mike Bedigan

Nearly 4 in 10 Americans blame the GOP for the shutdown of the federal government, a new poll has found.

The Marist poll, conducted prior to last night’s shutdown found 38 percent blamed Republicans, but highlighted that there is plenty of finger pointing to go around.

According to the survey, 27 percent said they would blame the Democrats, and 31 percent point a finger at both parties equally.

Four percent said they would blame neither political party.

Johnson addresses reporters with closed Washington Monument in background

15:33 , Mike Bedigan
(AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)

In pictures: Washington Monument closed because of shutdown

15:25 , Joe Sommerlad

A closed sign is seen on the Washington Monument on Wednesday after Congress failed to pass a bipartisan funding bill.

(Getty)
(Getty)
(AP)

Johnson prays Democrats 'come to their senses soon'

15:16 , Mike Bedigan

Speaking Tuesday morning, House Speaker Mike Johnson continued to lay the blame for the shut down at the feet of the Democrats, saying he was “praying” that his colleagues across the aisle “come to their senses soon.”

“Rather than work with President Trump… Democrats want to play political games with the lives and livelihoods of Americans,” he said.

“The simple truth is that democrats in Congress have dragged our country into another reckless shutdown to satisfy their far left base. That is the truth.

“Whether or not the government remains open or reopens is entirely up to them. There is still time for Democrats to pass this clean bipartisan bill that is sitting before them and we encourage our Democrat colleagues to do that. I certainly hope they pray they come to their senses soon.”

Republicans speaking on Capitol Hill accuse Democrats of ‘playing political games with American lives’

15:12 , Joe Sommerlad

Speaker Johnson is currently holding an outdoor press conference in Washington, flanked by the Senate and House majority leaders John Thune and Steve Scalise, and is urging the Democrats to pass a Continuing Resolution to fund the government.

You can watch a livestream here:

Here’s what Johnson had to say to Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business this morning as he sought to seize control of the narrative:

‘It could have been an email’: Viewers stunned by Hegseth and Trump’s bizarre Quantico speeches to military chiefs

14:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Graig Graziosi on the reaction to the secretary of war’s anti-woke lecture to the nation’s top generals and admirals in Virginia yesterday.

Viewers stunned by Hegseth and Trump’s bizarre Quantico speeches to military chiefs

Experts offer stark warning over Trump’s covert war on drug boats after Kash Patel promised to treat cartels like al-Qaeda

14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The Trump administration’s approach to drug cartels mirrors the tactics used in the War on Terror, experts have said.

The U.S. conducted several military strikes in the Caribbean last month against what it says were drug boats, as part of its campaign against cartels, which it had designated as foreign terrorist organizations.

During a Senate hearing last week, FBI Director Kash Patel compared Latin American drug gangs to al-Qaeda.

Here’s more from Alex Croft.

Experts offer stark warning on Trump’s covert war on drug boats

Stephen Miller rages about being called a ‘fascist’ despite regularly using the term to describe his enemies

14:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff has responded angrily to the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, after a social media account linked to Newsom labelled him a “fascist”.

Harry Cockburn reports.

Stephen Miller rages about ‘fascist’ label despite regularly using the term himself

Trump pulls his nominee to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics after accusations of offensive social media posts

13:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Elsewhere in Trumpworld, the president has reportedly withdrawn his nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, EJ Antoni, weeks after reports accused him of writing since-deleted inflammatory tweets.

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Trump pulls nominee to lead BLS after accusations of offensive social media posts

JD Vance blames Democrats and says air traffic controllers ‘no longer getting paid’

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The vice president is on the morning media trail, appearing first on CBS News and now on Fox to try to pin the blame for the abrupt suspension of public services on the opposition in response to last night’s vote.

Healthcare premiums will skyrocket in speaker’s own district, congressman warns

13:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Speaking to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell last night, Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle pointed out that a 60-year-old couple earning $82,000 a year in Mike Johnson’s own district stand to see their healthcare premiums rise by almost $20,000 or 300 percent as a result of the speaker and his party’s refusal to countenance the opposition’s demands for greater support.

Watch: What happens during a US government shutdown?

12:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Airlines for America warns of a possible slow down in aviation

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s more from our travel correspondent Simon Calder:

The trade body Airlines for America says: “Aviation is the safest mode of transportation, but to maintain that the system may need to slow down, reducing efficiency.

“When federal employees who manage air traffic, inspect aircraft and secure our nation’s aviation system are furloughed or working without pay, the entire industry and millions of Americans feel the strain.”

At the Department of Homeland Security, which looks after airport security as well as Customs and Border Protection, only nine per cent of staff – in back-office roles – will stop working. The remainder are classed as essential workers.

Processing of international arrivals will continue as normal, as will screening of airline passengers boarding flights in the U.S.

But even though front-line staff continue to turn up, a technical failure that affected airport processing could cause problems for travellers.

Given the number of cyberattacks on the travel industry recently, it is noteworthy that only one-third of the staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will keep working – at the start of what is officially Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

In July, 1,000 staff at CISA were fired as part of the campaign for “government efficiency.”

Atlanta airport in Georgia, the busiest in the United States (Simon Calder)

How federal government shutdown will impact visitors to US

12:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The political paralysis in Washington, D.C., will affect tourists to the U.S., whether they hope to explore the museums in the American capital or the natural wonders of its national parks.

Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, has been researching the likely impact on visitor attractions.

The federal government must stop paying staff for duties that are classed as “non-essential,” he explains.

This covers many tourist facilities. Anything run by the National Park Service is particularly vulnerable; two thirds of staff will be stood down.

The service says: “Park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.”

But facilities from ranger-guided walks to restrooms will not be available, and some parks will close altogether.

America’s greatest collection of museums, the Smithsonian in D.C., says its venues as well as the National Zoo in the capital will remain open until next Monday October 6, using “prior-year funds.” But there is no certainty after that.

The U.S. Travel Association, representing the travel industry, says: “The travel economy is at risk of losing $1 billion a week due to disruptions in air and rail travel and the closure of national parks and museums.”

Here’s more.

How federal government shutdown will impact visitors to US

How the Department of Education will be impacted by the shutdown

11:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Linda McMahon’s domain, already diminished by Trump administration cuts, will see even more of its work come to a halt due to the government shutdown.

But the department has said many of its core operations will continue in the shutdown. Federal financial aid will keep flowing, and student loan payments will still be due.

But investigations into civil rights complaints will stop, and the department will not issue new federal grants.

About 87 percent of its workforce will be furloughed, according to an internal contingency plan.

The government shutdown will halt some work at a diminished Education Department

How the Environmental Protection Agency will be impacted by the shutdown

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Let’s take a look at how some individual agencies can expect to be hit by the imminent disruption.

First up, the EPA, which was already reeling from massive stuff cuts and dramatic shifts in priority and policy.

EPA's job is to protect America's air, water and land. Here's how a shutdown affects that effort

Shutdown to cost $400m per day

11:10 , Joe Sommerlad

Tuesday’s impasse means that a projected 750,000 federal employees will be furloughed, economic reports will be halted, air travel disrupted and scientific research suspended, all at a daily cost of $400 million to the American taxpayer.

US government shutdown to cost $400m per day

Speaker lays blame at Democrats’ door

10:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke to Kaitlan Collins on CNN last night and wasted no time in pinning the blame on the opposition.

Jeffries and Schumer accuse Trump of ‘erratic and unhinged’ behavior over trolling

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the latest statement from the Democratic leadership in response to last night’s events:

Chuck Schumer pledges to “keep fighting” while Jeffries is currently running a “Stop the Republican Shutdown” live feed from his X account, featuring a string of guest speakers:

In pictures: US Capitol shines out as government shutdown comes to pass

10:10 , Joe Sommerlad

The Capitol is seen in the early hours of Wednesday morning after Congress failed to reach a funding deal.

(Getty)
(Getty)
(Getty)
(Getty)

Trump posts another AI-edited video mocking Jeffries hours ahead of key vote

09:50 , Joe Sommerlad

The president himself did not help matters last night, given the delicate balance of the negotiations, by posting another AI-edited video mocking House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache.

Jeffries responded by calling Trump “an unserious individual.”

Rachel Dobkin has more.

Trump posts another AI video mocking Jeffries hours ahead of government shutdown

Donald Trump warns of mass federal layoffs

09:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Before yesterday’s Senate vote, President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is “the last person” who wants a government shutdown while warning that it could result in the “irreversible” layoff of federal workers.

“We’re not shutting it down,” Trump insisted. “We don't want it to shut down because we have the greatest period of time ever. I told you. We have $17 trillion being invested. So the last person that wants to shut down is us.

“Now, with that being said, we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for [Democrats] and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.”

Here’s Kelly Rissman on the White House issuing a similar warning last week, hoping to prevent this outcome.

White House warns of mass firings across government if there is a shutdown: report

What is a government shutdown? Here’s how it will impact most Americans

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

So for the 21st time in the past 50 years, Congress has not been able to reach an agreement on funding for federal agencies, despite negotiations stretching late into the night.

Here’s Io Dodds on what that means.

What is a government shutdown? Here’s how it would impact most Americans

Recap: US government in shutdown after stopgap funding bill fails in the Senate

08:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

If you’re just joining us, the U.S. federal government finds itself in shutdown mode once again after a stopgap funding bill failed in the Senate Tuesday evening.

Republicans put forth a bill that was already approved by the House, but it failed 55 to 45, not receiving the 60 votes it needed to pass.

Democrats John Fetterman and Catherine Cortez Masto, and Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, voted with Republicans in favor of the bill, while Democrats and Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against it.

Here’s Eric Garcia with a full report on how the night unfolded.

Senate Democrats vote to shut down government over Republican spending bill

Watch: Jeffries responds to Trump mocking him with AI video... again

06:30 , Rachel Dobkin

House Minority Speaker Hakeem Jeffries called Donald Trump “an unserious individual” in a Tuesday night CNN interview after the president mocked him with an AI video depicting the Democrat leader with a sombrero and a handlebar mustache for the second time in two days.

Obama-era U.S. attorney contradicts Trump, says 'no one loses their job' during government shutdown

05:35 , Rachel Dobkin

Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney under the Obama administration, has contradicted President Donald Trump, saying “no one loses their job” during a government shutdown.

Polls show Americans are divided over who to blame for government shutdown

05:10 , Rachel Dobkin

Recent Polls have shown Americans are divided over who to blame for the government shutdown.

A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted between September 22 and 27 showed 26 percent of respondents believe President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress would be more to blame if the government shut down while 19 percent would put more fault on Congressional Democrats.

A YouGov poll conducted on September 25 found 25 percent of respondents would blame Democrats in Congress more if a federal spending deal was not reached while 23 percent would put more fault on Trump and 14 percent would blame Congressional Republicans more.

JD Vance calls Trump the ‘trolling master’ as he pins government shutdown on Democrats

16:58 , Mike Bedigan

Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday said House Speaker Mike Johnson’s use of a video compilation featuring Democrats arguing against shutting down the government in years past is evidence that the Louisiana Republican has learned how to troll his adversaries from the “master” — President Donald Trump.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Vance calls Trump the ‘trolling master’ as he pins government shutdown on Democrats

ICYMI: Senate Democrats vote to shut down government as they hold firm on Republican spending bill despite Trump threats

04:50 , Rachel Dobkin

Senate Democrats held firm and chose to block a Republican spending bill Tuesday evening, all but guaranteeing a government shutdown — even as President Donald Trump threatened “irreversible” layoffs if the bureaucracy is ground to a halt.

The Republican-controlled Senate put forth a stopgap spending bill called a continuing resolution to keep the government open until Thanksgiving. But Democrats voted against the continuing resolution, also called a CR, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer leading the charge to a shutdown.

Only Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Fetterman (D-Penn) joined the Republicans. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican to oppose it.

The vote sets up a full-blown government shutdown, the third during Trump’s two presidencies and the first since 2018-2019, from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1.

Read more from Eric Garcia:

Senate Democrats vote to shut down government over Republican spending bill

Trump posts another vulgar and racist AI video mocking Jeffries hours ahead of government shutdown

04:30 , Rachel Dobkin

President Donald Trump has posted another vulgar and racist AI-modified video mocking House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, hours ahead of a government shutdown.

On Monday, Trump posted a deepfake clip of Jeffries wearing a sombrero and handlebar mustache as he stood alongside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Mariachi music played in the background as a deepfake Schumer said, “nobody likes Democrats anymore” because of “all of our woke trans bulls***,” before falsely claiming his party supports giving undocumented immigrants free healthcare because the party needs “new voters.”

Trump then fanned the flames with another AI-modified video of Jeffries on Truth Social Tuesday night. It starts with a real interview clip, in which Jeffries calls the first deepfake “disgusting.”

“Bigotry will get you nowhere,” Jeffries told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, before a sombrero and handlebar mustache were again edited onto the Democrat leader. An AI-generated mariachi band, whose members all had Trump’s face and signature blue suit and red tie, was added into the background.

Jeffries condemned the first video, and in response to the second clip, the House Democratic leader told CNN Trump was “an unserious individual.”

Read on...

Trump posts another AI video mocking Jeffries hours ahead of government shutdown

Watch: Bernie Sanders gives frank response when asked if he will continue to vote 'no' on GOP spending bill

04:10 , Rachel Dobkin

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, has insisted on voting against a Republican spending bill without bipartisan negotiations.

“ What the Republicans have said, ‘Sorry. We're not gonna deal with the opposition. We are going to do it alone. Here it is. You take it or you leave it.’ I will not take it,” Sanders told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Tuesday night.

When Collins asked Sanders if he was willing to vote ‘no’ every time, Sanders said, “Damn right.”

“ I will not let tens of thousands of fellow Americans die because they're thrown off of healthcare,” he added.

Democrats have demanded the reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill,” and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies in exchange for support of a spending plan.

Federal agencies blame Democrats for looming government shutdown

03:50 , Rachel Dobkin

Federal agencies are blaming Democrats for the looming government shutdown.

The Department of Housing and Urban Affairs states on its website, “The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands.

“The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs sent an email to reporters Tuesday saying, per CNN, ”Radical liberals in Congress are trying to shut down the government to achieve their crazy fantasy of open borders, ‘transgender’ for everybody and men competing in women’s sports.

“If they succeed, they will stop critical Veterans care and assistance programs.”

Viewers stunned by Hegseth and Trump’s bizarre Quantico speeches to military chiefs

03:30 , Rachel Dobkin

President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held their big military meeting on Tuesday that saw top brass from across the world flown in to a meeting in Virginia, all to be told to lose weight and prepare for possible deployment against the American public.

“We flew every general from across the world for this?” Democratic Senator Reuben Gallego, an Iraq war veteran, said in a post on X. “This meeting could have been an email.”

Predictions for the purpose of the surprise meeting ranged from Trump demanding a loyalty oath from generals to Hegseth publicly firing "woke" generals.

But the actual meeting was more of a spectacle than anything else. Trump and Hegseth again insisted they would end "woke" and "politically correct" policies in the military.

Read more from Graig Graziosi:

Viewers stunned by Hegseth and Trump’s bizarre Quantico speeches to military chiefs

Watch: CNN host confronts Mike Johnson on GOP healthcare claim

03:10 , Rachel Dobkin

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson Tuesday night on a Republican claim that undocumented immigrants are getting access to government healthcare programs.

Analysis: Democrats and GOP agree on one thing — a government shutdown is inevitable

02:50 , Rachel Dobkin

America’s two political parties remain united on one issue alone: their commitment to not backing down.

Despite a last-minute White House summit on Monday afternoon aimed at resolving differences between Democratic leadership, the president and his Republican allies in Congress, the two sides were no closer to an agreement to keep the government funded by midnight.

In fact, key players on both sides indicated that relations and the tenor of negotiations were at an all-time low.

At the White House, the president reportedly turned against the idea of negotiating with Democrats after the meeting on Monday: “He read all the s**t they’re asking for, and he said, ‘on second thought, go f**k yourself,’” a White House aide told Politico.

Read more from John Bowden:

Democrats and the GOP agree on one thing — a government shutdown is inevitable

Mike Johnson says shutdown is 'inevitable' after Senate bill fails

02:33 , Rachel Dobkin

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said a government shutdown is “inevitable” after the Senate failed to pass a stopgap funding bill.

“It’s a very reckless decision that Chuck Schumer has made. The Democrats have taken the last vote. Within the last few hours, they voted it down once again, and so there’s no other option” than for a shutdown at midnight, Johnson told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Tuesday night.

Earlier Tuesday, Republicans put forth a bill that was already approved by the House, but it failed 55 to 45 after not receiving the 60 votes needed. Democrats John Fetterman and Catherine Cortez Masto, and Angus King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, voted with Republicans in favor of the bill, while Democrats and Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against it.

Senate Democratic leader Schumer, who voted in March to keep the government open, has dug in his heels this time. Democrats demanded the reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill,” and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies for their support on a spending plan.

Democrat who supported GOP spending bill explains her vote

02:10 , Rachel Dobkin

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat, has explained why she supported a Republican spending bill to keep the government open.

“We need a bipartisan solution to address this impending health care crisis, but we should not be swapping the pain of one group of Americans for another,” the senator said in a statement.

Democrats demanded the reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill,” and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies in exchange for their support on a spending bill.

Watch: Trump official says a 'clean continuing resolution' will be passed

02:10 , Rachel Dobkin

Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett has said a “clean continuing resolution” to fund the government will be passed as a government shutdown looms.

“It almost always ends up with a clean continuing resolution, and that’s how this is going to end up, too. That’s going to happen; the question is, do we have a shutdown between now and then?” Hassett told CNN’s Jake Tapper Tuesday.

Ted Cruz rails against Democrats for 'Schumer Shutdown'

01:50 , Rachel Dobkin

Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, has railed against Democrats for holding the government “hostage” in what he has dubbed the “Schumer Shutdown.”

“Welcome to the Schumer Shutdown. In nine hours, Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are very likely going to shut the federal government down. They are doing this to hold the government hostage in order to try to force free health care for illegal aliens all across this country,” Cruz said in a video posted to X late Tuesday afternoon.

“Now, President Trump is not going to go along with that, and neither are Republicans in the House and Senate.”

The government will shut down in a few hours if lawmakers don’t pass a spending bill by midnight.

Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have demanded a reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill,” and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

But Republicans have falsely claimed that the Democrats demanded healthcare funding for unauthorized immigrants.

How could a government shutdown affect your next flight?

01:30 , Rachel Dobkin

Flyers should beware of a looming government shutdown that could result in longer security lines and flight disruptions, according to a Business Insider report.

If lawmakers do not agree on a spending plan by midnight, the government will start to shut down. One consequence of a government shutdown is restricted overtime hours for air traffic, passport control and airport security employees, Atmosphere Research Group travel analyst Henry Harteveldt told Business Insider.

This restriction means fewer employees will be working during peak travel hours, leading to more headaches for flyers.

John Rose, chief risk officer at the global travel management company Altour, further stressed potential travel delays.

"While airlines are expected to operate normally, since they staff their own check-in and baggage teams, government-run services could face disruptions," he told Business Insider.

Rose continued: "If you have upcoming travel, especially internationally, allocate extra time for both departure and arrival. Long lines are nothing new, but during a shutdown, they could be significantly worse."

Trump is ordering federal agencies to start shutdown

01:00 , Rachel Dobkin

President Donald Trump’s budget office has posted a letter, saying, “Affected agencies should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown.”

Russ Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, told federal employees to come to their next shift to “undertake orderly shutdown activities.”

Vought blamed the Democrats for the shutdown, writing that Democratic senators blocked the passage of a spending bill supported by Trump “due to Democrats’ insane policy demands.”

Full Story: Senate Democrats vote to shut down government as they hold firm on Republican spending bill despite Trump threats

Wednesday 1 October 2025 00:40 , Rachel Dobkin

Senate Democrats held firm and chose to block a Republican spending bill Tuesday evening, all but guaranteeing a government shutdown — even as President Donald Trump threatened “irreversible” layoffs if the bureaucracy is ground to a halt.

The Republican-controlled Senate put forth a stopgap spending bill called a continuing resolution to keep the government open until Thanksgiving. But Democrats voted against the continuing resolution, also called a CR, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer leading the charge to a shutdown.

Only Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Angus King (I-Maine) and John Fetterman (D-Penn). joined the Republicans. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Republican to oppose it.

The vote sets up a full-blown government shutdown, the third during Trump’s two presidencies and the first since 2018-2019, from 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 1.

Read more from Eric Garcia:

Senate Democrats vote to shut down government over Republican spending bill

Labor secretary says Democrats are playing 'political games'

Wednesday 1 October 2025 00:30 , Rachel Dobkin

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has said Democrats are playing “political games” as a government shutdown looms.

"America First policies are working, and it's going to come to a screeching halt because the Democrats are choosing to play political games,” Chavez-DeRemer told Fox Business Tuesday.

Democrats’ reluctance to pass a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown is over healthcare concerns.

They have demanded a reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill,” and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Republican spending bill fails in the Senate

Wednesday 1 October 2025 00:30 , Rachel Dobkin

A Republican-led spending bill to stop the government from shutting down has failed in the Senate in a 55 to 45 vote.

Democrats John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Angus King of Maine voted with 52 Republicans in favor of the bill, while 44 Democrats and Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against it.

The vote failed shortly after a spending bill pushed by the Democrats, which included reversing Medicaid cuts and extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, failed along party lines.

Lawmakers needed to pass a spending plan by midnight to avoid a government shutdown; now a shutdown is imminent.

Democrats' spending bill fails in the Senate

Tuesday 30 September 2025 23:52 , Rachel Dobkin

A short-term spending bill pushed by Democrats has failed in the Senate in a 47 to 53 vote along party lines.

Photojournalist hospitalized after masked ICE agents throw reporters to the ground in New York immigration courthouse

Tuesday 30 September 2025 23:30 , Rachel Dobkin

Widely shared video shows masked federal agents throwing several reporters to the floor inside an immigration courthouse in downtown Manhattan, days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was suspended for tackling a crying woman and pinning her to the ground in the same building.

Video from inside 26 Federal Plaza, which serves as headquarters for several federal law enforcement agencies, shows masked agents trying to forcibly remove a journalist from an elevator while calling out “get out the f****** elevator.”

Another agent then shoves a photographer across the hall. A third photographer is then knocked to the floor; footage from photojournalist Stephanie Keith shows him grabbing his head in pain before emergency medical personnel arrive and put him in a neck brace and on to a stretcher.

Last week, a crying woman pleading for her husband’s release from ICE custody was hospitalized after an agent shoved her across the hall, pushed her to the ground and pinned her down on her back.

Read more from Alex Woodward:

Photojournalist hospitalized after ICE agents shove reporters in New York

Watch: Bernie Sanders lays out what Republicans can do to get his support

Tuesday 30 September 2025 23:10 , Rachel Dobkin

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, has laid out what Republicans can do to get his support to stop a government shutdown at midnight.

Democrat justifies Chuck Schumer's shutdown strategy: 'He is fighting harder'

Tuesday 30 September 2025 22:50 , Rachel Dobkin

Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, has justified Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's strategy during the looming government shutdown, saying, “He is fighting harder.”

“ He is using what little leverage that we have,” Moulton said of Schumer on CNN Tuesday. “Some might say, ‘Why aren't we asking for even more?’ What we're asking for is actually something that Republicans should want because it's good for Red states too.

“It's just lowering healthcare premiums, keeping them affordable for Americans, no matter what your political strife is.”

In March, Schumer supported a six-month spending bill to keep the government open, saying, “While the Republican bill is very bad, the potential for a shutdown has consequences for America that are much much worse.”

But now Democrats are digging their heels in, demanding an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies in exchange for their vote to keep the government open.

“The Republicans have had 45 days over and over and over to come to us and talk about protecting your health care. They didn’t. They would rather shut the government down than protect your health care,” Schumer wrote on X Tuesday.

Watch: Trump says 'a lot of good can come down from shutdowns'

Tuesday 30 September 2025 22:30 , Rachel Dobkin

President Donald Trump told reporters Tuesday, “A lot of good can come down from [government] shutdowns.”

“We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn't want. And they’d be Democrat things,” Trump said.

Watch: Democrat rails against Trump over healthcare as shutdown looms

Tuesday 30 September 2025 22:10 , Rachel Dobkin

Senator Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, has railed against President Donald Trump and the Republicans over healthcare as a government shutdown looms.

Government subsidies for those under the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of the year. If these subsidies are not extended, more than 20 million Americans will have to pay higher insurance premiums next year, The New York Times reports.

Democrats are trying to leverage an extension for these subsidies in exchange for their support of a spending bill to prevent a government shutdown at midnight tonight.

Republicans have criticized the cost of the subsidies and potential fraud in enrollments for the healthcare program. The NYT says the subsidies cost an estimated $350 billion over 10 years.

Federal workers' unions suing to stop Trump's potential mass firings

Tuesday 30 September 2025 21:50 , Rachel Dobkin

Federal workers' unions filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop President Donald Trump from carrying out mass firings if the government shuts down.

The unions pointed out in the lawsuit that in the past, federal employees either continued to work during a shutdown but were not paid until an appropriations bill was passed, or they were furloughed and received back pay after the shutdown ended.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump said, “We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for [Democrats] and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like."

Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which is a plantiff in the lawsuit, said in a statement: “Announcing plans to fire potentially tens of thousands of federal employees simply because Congress and the administration are at odds on funding the government past the end of the fiscal year is not only illegal – it’s immoral and unconscionable.”

Kelley continued: “Federal employees dedicate their careers to public service – more than a third are military veterans – and the contempt being shown them by this administration is appalling.”

Watch: Senate Republican leader says they will not be 'held hostage' by Democrats as shutdown looms

Tuesday 30 September 2025 21:30 , Rachel Dobkin

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota has said Republicans will not be “held hostage” by Democrats as a government shutdown looms.

Republicans need the support of eight Democrats to pass a short-term spending bill before midnight tonight, Thune said.

What is a government shutdown?

Tuesday 30 September 2025 21:05 , Rachel Dobkin

The U.S. government has been shut down after Congress failed to pass short-term funding.

For the 21st time in the past 50 years, all federal agencies will run out of money at midnight on Wednesday.

Senate Democrats late Tuesday voted down a Republican bill to keep funding the government, putting it on a near certain path to a shutdown for the first time in nearly seven years.

So what would a government shutdown actually mean for you and for the nation? Find out more from Io Dodds:

What is a government shutdown? Here’s how it would impact most Americans

Schumer blasts Trump over shutdown 'joke'

Tuesday 30 September 2025 20:53 , Mike Bedigan

Chuck Schumer blasted Donald Trump’s vulgar Truth Social post mocking him with an apparent AI-generated video after Monday negotiations about the imminent government shut down yielded no results.

“If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can’t negotiate. You can only throw tantrums,” Schumer wrote on X.

Judge takes down Trump in brutal ruling on free speech and reveals threat sent to him by MAGA fan

Tuesday 30 September 2025 20:30 , Mike Bedigan

A federal judge unloaded on Donald Trump and top administration officials for threatening First Amendment rights of international students for demonstrating against Israel’s war in Gaza.

A damning 161-page opinion Tuesday found that State Secretary Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem illegally chilled protected speech of pro-Palestinian students and faculty by threatening to revoke their visas and then arresting, detaining and deporting them.

Alex Woodward has more:

Judge takes down Trump’s ‘bullying’ in victory for pro-Palestine students

Watch: Trump brags about the border after being asked about false claims on immigrant healthcare

Tuesday 30 September 2025 20:10 , Mike Bedigan

Trump appears to forget Hakeem Jeffries' name as he recalls meeting Dem leaders

Tuesday 30 September 2025 19:58 , Mike Bedigan

President Trump appeared to forget the name of Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries as he recalled a meeting with him and Chuck Schumer to discuss the looming government shutdown.

Jeffries and Schumer met with the president Monday but there was no breakthrough, with Schumer saying both sides still had “very large differences” on issues including health care.

Announcing a deal with pharma-giant Pfizer on Tuesday, Trump said he had spoken to the men about prescription drug pricing.

“This has a big impact even on the discussion that we’ll have with Chuck Schumer who was here yesterday, along with a very nice gentleman who I didn’t really know,” he said, referring to Jeffries.

“You know who I’m talking about. The two of them came and we have a very good discussion. And we’re going to see what happens.”

Analysis: Democrats aren't usually the ones to shut down goverment

Tuesday 30 September 2025 19:47 , Eric Garcia

Democrats are usually not the type of party to make these types of threats. Historically, because they see themselves as the party of government, they tend to avoid a shutdown.

And indeed, they have not yet said they are willing to allow for a shutdown. Rather, they keep repeating their talking point that they want to keep the government open and extend the subsidies.

"And the message from these federal employees has been that since day one, Donald Trump and Russ Vought and Elon Musk have been attacking federal workers and therefore attacking the services that they provide to the American people," Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told The Independent.

"We all want to keep the federal government open, but we don't want to give Donald Trump a blank check to continue his lawless activities and leave the time bomb ticking on health care in America, because as you know, when that bomb goes off, millions of Americans will see their premiums spike."

But the fact remains that if Democrats vote against this, there's no real off-ramp or road back to reopening the government. Republicans control the majorities in both houses and can bring a vote any time they want. It's a sign of Democrats' powerlessness under the second Trump administration and their lack of leverage.

Watch: Trump says shutdown would mean he can cut benefits

Tuesday 30 September 2025 19:39 , Mike Bedigan

Analysis: Dems see shutdown as a chance to fight back

Tuesday 30 September 2025 19:30 , Eric Garcia

Democrats see this showdown over spending not only as a chance to extend subsidies for the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. They also see it as a chance to fight back.

It's an inherently risky move. But Democrats say they have already faced massive cuts to the federal workforce across the board.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, whose home state of Georgia houses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that he is not phased by these threats.

"Let me say that we don't want a government shutdown, but the sad reality is that the Trump administration has already been shutting the government," he told The Independent.

Trump posts vulgar and racist AI video on government shutdown with Schumer saying: ‘Nobody likes Democrats anymore’

Tuesday 30 September 2025 19:18 , Mike Bedigan

President Donald Trump on Monday posted a profane, apparently AI-modified video of Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, mocking the White House’s main negotiating partners as the government heads towards a looming shutdown.

In the video, the digitally altered Schumer says, “nobody likes Democrats anymore” because of “all of our woke trans bulls***,” before erroneously claiming Democrats support giving undocumented immigrants healthcare because the party needs “new voters.”

Josh Marcus has the full story:

Trump posts vulgar, racist AI shutdown video of Schumer: ‘Nobody likes Democrats’

Analysis: Democrats call Trump's bluff on federal firings

Tuesday 30 September 2025 19:04 , Eric Garcia

As a government shutdown looms, President Donald Trump and Republicans have warned Democrats that if they vote against "clean" continuing resolution with no attachments, that thousands of federal workers have lost their jobs.

Trump told reporters earlier in the day that "we may do a lot and that's only because of the Democrats." It's a tempting prospect because of the fact that the two states that border Washington–Maryland and Virginia–are solidly Democratic states with tons of federal workers who voted for the Democratic Party.

But Senate Democrats seem to call Trump's bluff on this.

"These workers are not bargaining chips," Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia told The Independent. If anything, they say that the Trump administration, Vought and the Department of Government Efficiency have cut the federal workforce to the bone, so this is an empty threat.

"But I hear from federal workers consistently, they they feel like they've been in a slow world shut down through this current administration, and they also want us to push back and, frankly, understand what it's going to do to non federal contractors who buy their insurance,” he added.

Chuck Schumer says Republicans 'not serious' about keeping government open

Tuesday 30 September 2025 18:59 , Mike Bedigan

Speaking on the floor of the House Tuesday morning, Senator Chuck Schumer blasted Republicans who he said were “not serious” about avoiding a government shutdown.

"The Leader [John Thune] says it’s a clean bill. It’s a partisan bill,” he said.

“Not once were Democrats asked for what input should be in the bill. We were not told about it. We were not asked about it. Nor did Speaker Johnson talk to Hakeem Jeffries. You cannot pass legislation in the Senate when it comes to appropriations unless it is bipartisan. So, the Leader will say it’s clean. No, it’s not clean, because there was no discussion."

He added: "We stand at the precipice of a government shutdown because Republicans are not serious about keeping the government open.”

Vance blames Democrats for looming government shutdown

Tuesday 30 September 2025 18:51 , Mike Bedigan

Vice president JD Vance has placed the blame for the looming government shutdown at the feet of the Democrats.

“We have disagreements about health care policies, but you don’t shut the government down,” he said. “You don’t use your policy disagreements as leverage to not pay our troops, to not have essential services of government actually function.

“You don’t say the fact that you disagree about a particular tax provision is an excuse for shutting down the people’s government and all the essential services that come along with it.”

Democrats have demanded the reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill.” Republicans have falsely claimed that the Democrats are demanded funding for unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.

Trump says he is 'the last person' who wants a government shut down

Tuesday 30 September 2025 18:46 , Mike Bedigan

Donald Trump said that he was the “last person” who wants a government shutdown – warning that it could result in “irreversible” layoffs of federal workers.

"We're not shutting it down. We don't want it to shut down because we have the greatest period of time ever. I told you,” the president said Tuesday.

“We have $17 trillion being invested. So the last person that wants to shut down is us.

“Now, with that being said, we can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for [Democrats] and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like."

Government shutdown 2025 live

Tuesday 30 September 2025 18:43 , Mike Bedigan

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the impending government shutdown, which will take place at midnight tonight if lawmakers on both sides cannot agree to a spending plan.

Donald Trump has blamed Democratic leaders for the looming government shutdown, warning that there will be “irreversible” layoffs of federal employees if no agreement can be reached.

Democrats have demanded the reversal of cuts to Medicaid, set out earlier this year in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful, Bill.” Republicans have falsely claimed that the Democrats are demanded funding for unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.

Senator Chuck Schumer said on Monday that there still remained “very large differences” between the two sides.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Ryan Seacrest Can't Stop, Won't Stop Celebrating His First Wheel Of Fortune Million-Dollar Winner, And I Can't Blame Him
I think Ryan Seacrest is happier than the person who won $1 million.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Starbucks Protein Coffee: Is It Worth It? Why Health Gurus Say You're 'Tripping Over Dollars to Pick Up Pennies'
Starbucks has launched protein-infused coffees with up to 36 grams per serving, but experts warn high sugar and cost may undermine the health benefits.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Jimmy Kimmel Told Stephen Colbert How His Kids Responded To His ABC Suspension, And One Of Their Reactions Broke My Little Heart
Kids are way better than adults.
Cinemablend
Cinemablend
Does the pill make you gain weight? Here’s what the science says | Debunked
Reproductive immunologist Dr Victoria Male sets the record straight on the long-debated link between contraceptive pills and weight gain - and explains why this theory may have gained legs.
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Martha Stewart's 20-year-old kitchen looks like 'it was made yesterday' – and it's all thanks to her timeless cabinet color choice
The iconic television show host and homemaker shared the secret to a kitchen that will never go out of style
Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
'Conjuring' Star Vera Farmiga Reveals Creepy 'Cross-Shaped Bruises' Appeared On Her Leg While Filming 'Last Rites'
Vera Farmiga told E! News she discovered a cross-shaped bruise on her leg while filming 'The Conjuring: Last Rites' and shared a photograph; the actress has previously recounted similar unexplained marks, but experts and journalists caution that social media speculation is not proof.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play