The U.S. Senate has once again thwarted efforts by House Republicans to pass a short-term funding measure, extending the government shutdown that began earlier this week.
In less than 24 hours, lawmakers held a second vote on the continuing resolution designed to keep federal operations running through November 21, but the measure failed to progress in a 55-45 vote—identical to the result recorded Tuesday night. Sixty votes were required for the bill to move forward. The dispute is mainly focusing on the healthcare bill that the Democrats are trying to push.
According to the source, any further Senate action on the funding bill is not anticipated until Friday—more than two days into the shutdown’s duration.
The shutdown has already begun to impact government operations, with an economic data blackout grabbing attention. The Labor Department announced it would not release the September nonfarm payrolls report scheduled for Friday, due to suspended agency activities.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission stated on its website that it is operating with “very limited” staffing levels, focusing attention only on emergency situations to uphold market integrity and investor protection.
On the credit front, Fitch Ratings confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. government shutdown poses no immediate risk to the current ‘AA+’/Stable sovereign rating. However, the agency underscored that the ongoing fiscal impasse highlights entrenched challenges and political brinkmanship in U.S. budget policymaking. Fitch, which lowered America’s long-term credit rating from AAA to AA+ in 2023, cited concerns over fiscal deterioration and recurring political deadlocks as factors in its downgrade.
