The U.S. government shutdown is set to continue into next week after the Senate failed to approve a budget proposal put forward by Republicans on Friday. Federal funding has been suspended since Wednesday, disrupting a wide range of public services and leaving approximately 750,000 government employees without pay.
Senators will not hold sessions over the weekend, making Friday’s proposal the last effort this week to end the stalemate. Ahead of the vote, the Trump administration postponed the release of a key labor market report, adding uncertainty to the state of the U.S. economy and depriving policymakers and business leaders of critical economic data, according to Al-Jarida daily.
The shutdown stems from a political impasse over expiring health care benefits. Democrats are pushing to extend coverage for millions of low-income Americans, while Republicans, controlling both Congress and the White House, have shown no willingness to meet these demands without Democratic support.
As negotiations stall, Senate Democrats are preparing a strategy for the second week of the shutdown during a private weekend meeting, while Republicans will hold a conference call on Saturday.
Tensions have escalated as President Donald Trump has threatened to turn the temporary leave of federal employees into permanent layoffs and to cut funding and benefits. Russell Vaughn, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, plans to brief Senate Republicans on these plans during their weekly luncheon next Wednesday.
Public opinion appears to favor Democrats, with polls indicating that voters are more likely to blame Trump and Republican leaders for the government paralysis.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Thursday that media coverage and public pressure would push Republicans to negotiate on health care, asserting, “The American people are closely monitoring the situation and know that it is Donald Trump and the Republicans who have paralyzed the government.”
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