FROM NBC NEWS: The government shutdown meandered into its 22nd day with no end in sight after a 12th GOP attempt to reopen the government was stalled and then blocked by Senate Democrats on Wednesday afternoon.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus kneecapped Republicans’ bid to reopen the government for the 12th time in a 54-46 vote where Republicans needed at least 60 votes to advance the measure. The latest failed vote comes as Schumer has demanded another meeting with President Donald Trump and on the heels of an almost 24-hour filibuster by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore, that pushed the vote late into Wednesday.
During his marathon floor speech, which began at 6:23 pm on Tuesday, Merkley spoke on authoritarianism — what he called the Trump Administration’s overreach on immigration, separation of powers, and more.
“Republicans have shut down the government to continue the strategy of slashing Americans’ healthcare,” Merkley said.
Trump has indicated a willingness to speak with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., but said it would only be after the government is reopened.
“The government has to be open,” he said. “You know how long it will take for them to do that? Just say, ‘OK, government is open.’ That’s it. There is nothing — They’re not negotiating.”
“What they’re doing is saying they lost the negotiation,” Trump continued. “And when we got the great ‘big beautiful [bill]’ done, they lost the negotiation. Now they’re saying, ‘Well, we want to get some of the things we lost.’ But the problem is the things they lost are very bad for our country.”
Trump has also said republicans have been clear about the shutdown and that they will not be extorted and bend to Democrats’ will.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump in the Rose Garden just told Democrats he will NEVER CAVE to Chuck Schumer on the federal shutdown – NO taxpayer dollars for illegals, ever.
“I want to just say. From the beginning, our message has been VERY simple: we WILL NOT BE EXTORTED on this… pic.twitter.com/l4pETOu3pN
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 21, 2025
BREAKING: According to a BRAND NEW poll conducted by Quinnipac, the Congressional Democrats have DROPPED to 26% approval.
The Schumer Shutdown and FAR-LEFT radicals leading the party is going to end the entire PARTY.
They are CRUMBLING and Trump’s just getting started! pic.twitter.com/mdZTEbYnGP
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 22, 2025
READ MORE AT NBC NEWS
