Overview

• On Day 16, Senate Democrats rejected the House-passed stopgap for the 10th time, and lawmakers left Washington for the weekend, pushing the partial shutdown into next week.
• A Republican bid to advance the annual defense appropriations bill failed to clear the 60-vote hurdle, with only John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jeanne Shaheen breaking with Democrats.
• Majority Leader John Thune offered Democrats a guaranteed vote by a set date on extending ACA subsidies, but progressive leaders rejected promises in favor of a signed law.
• Recent YouGov/The Economist polling shows the blame gap narrowing, with 39% blaming President Trump and Republicans and 33% blaming Democrats.
• President Trump directed the Pentagon to keep active-duty troops paid, yet roughly 750,000 federal workers remain furloughed as services and projects face delays and freezes.