Key Takeaways
- Democrats Block Military Funding: Senate Democrats voted 50-44 to block the $852 billion Defense appropriations bill, preventing military paychecks from being restored as the shutdown continues.
- Bipartisan Support Ignored: Despite the bill’s strong 26-3 committee approval earlier this year, Democrats insisted it be tied to unrelated domestic spending measures for health and housing.
- Trump Acts to Protect Troops: President Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to pay service members, as frustration mounts over stalled negotiations in Congress.
As the government shutdown enters its third week, Senate Democrats on Thursday voted to block the $852 billion Defense appropriations bill — a measure that had sailed out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan support earlier this year. The move has deepened frustration on Capitol Hill and highlighted growing tensions as funding talks stall.
The bill failed in a 50-44 vote, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) had put the measure forward, calling it a critical step to ensure that America’s military service members receive paychecks while broader negotiations continue.
“If we can’t reopen the entire government, we can at least make some progress toward securing paychecks for our troops and for defending our country,” Thune said on the Senate floor before the vote.
Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), objected to advancing the Defense bill without also voting on the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations measure. “It’s always been unacceptable to Democrats to do the Defense bill without other bills that are important to the American people,” Schumer told reporters, citing healthcare and housing funding.
Three Democrats — Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire — broke with party leadership to vote in favor of the Defense measure.
The standoff comes as President Donald Trump has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to ensure that troops continue to receive pay during the shutdown. Lawmakers from both parties, however, have asked for clarity on which accounts the administration is using to keep military pay flowing.
With the Senate set to adjourn until Monday, millions of Americans remain caught in the crossfire of a partisan showdown that shows no signs of slowing down — even as national security and military families hang in the balance.