Military spending bill blocked in US Senate as shutdown grinds on

17/10/2025 6:26

U.S. Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a bill that would have funded the Pentagon for a full year, thwarting an effort by Republicans to restart some

federal funding as the government shutdown stretched into its 16th day.



The tally was 50-44, falling short of the 60 needed to advance the measure in the 100-member Senate. The vote was largely along party lines, with President Donald Trump's fellow Republicans voting in favor and all but three Democrats objecting.



Democrats who voted against advancing the legislation said they did not want to back spending on the military without providing funding for other programs, such as healthcare and housing, that are important to Americans.



"It’s always been unacceptable to Democrats to do the defense bill without other bills that have so many things that are important to the American people in terms of healthcare, in terms of housing, in terms of safety," Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the chamber's Democratic leader, told reporters before

the vote.