Congress is breaking for a week after a short-term funding bill failed to advance in the Senate on Friday. Will this lead to the threat of a government shutdown? Here is what you need to know.

Government Funding Bill Fails to Pass the Senate

A piece of legislation to keep the federal government running through November 21 fell in the Senate on Friday, shortly after clearing the House in a 217 to 212 vote. One Democrat voted in favor of the bill in the House with two Republicans voting against it. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana did not support the GOP-backed measure. Conversely, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the lone Democrat to vote in support.

The bill did not reach the 60 votes needed to push it through the Senate, with 44 voting in favor of the measure and 48 coming out in opposition. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote for the bill. Meanwhile, GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Rand Paul of Kentucky broke from party ranks to vote no.

The failure of the bill to advance in the Senate could lead to a funding lapse by the end of the month. The bill would have kept the government running until November 21. Congress is scheduled to leave Washington, D.C. for at least one week, putting the passage of the measure in question.

The GOP will need to gain the support of at least seven of their Democratic colleagues in the Senate to pass the funding bill by the deadline of October 1. Democrats largely oppose the bill due to the lack of provisions for health care. The Senate is scheduled to be on recess until September 29, while the House is not set to return until after the October 1 deadline.

Reaction on Both Sides of the Aisle

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on Friday that he is not planning to demand that senators return to the nation's capital last week for negotiations. The Republican from South Dakota said that there would be another vote once the Senate returns to Capitol Hill at the end of September.

The proposed legislation would extend funding at the current spending levels for seven weeks. The measure also provides money for additional security for Congress following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The bill proposes $30 million for the security of Congressional lawmakers and an additional $58 million for the executive and judicial branches.

The Democrats countered with an offer that would keep the government running for a month, also allocating over $320 million in security funding. However, the counteroffer required the extension of the enhanced tax credits passed under the Affordable Care Act. These credits are set to expire at the end of this year. The Democratic legislation also aims to roll back current Medicaid cuts and bring back funding for public broadcasters.

The GOP is arguing that the Democratic proposals have no place in a short-term funding bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said that he is not open to negotiating with Democratic leaders about the provisions of the bill. Instead, Johnson said that the ball is now in Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's court.

Schumer said on Friday that neither of the GOP nor Democratic pieces of legislation will get to the magic number of 60 votes, necessitating that both parties come to the table to negotiate. The Democrat from New York also criticized his GOP colleagues for leaving town during this tenuous time.

Schumer was also quick to point out that there were no government shutdowns when his party had the majority, pointing to the ability of Congress to engage in bipartisan negotiations during this time. While Democrats are generally amenable to negotiations to fund the government, the party was widely criticized for giving in to Republican demands during the last funding battle in March.

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