Overview

• The Senate scheduled a fifth round of votes on rival short‑term funding bills, with neither measure expected to clear the 60‑vote threshold.
• Republican leaders have secured only three Democratic crossovers despite needing at least eight to advance their plan to fund the government through November 21.
• The White House says thousands could be terminated if talks go nowhere, and President Trump told reporters the federal layoffs are happening now.
• Budget director Russell Vought has frozen at least $28 billion for infrastructure in New York, California, and Illinois as part of escalating pressure tactics.
• The lapse has halted roughly $1.7 trillion in agency funding, left more than two million federal employees without pay, and could strain travel as staffing thins.