Vote to end government shutdown fails in Senate as Democrats hold firm on health care demands

People take photos with a sign announcing that the Library of Congress is closed, on the first day of a partial government shutdown, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

A vote to swiftly end the government shutdown failed Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party’s demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to provide.

The tally showed cracks in the Democrats’ resolve on day one of the shutdown but offered no breakthrough. Blame was being cast on all sides. The White House and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep programs and services open, throwing the country into a new cycle of uncertainty.

Vice President JD Vance warned of firings of federal workers ahead.