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A partial government shutdown began at midnight Wednesday morning after Senate Democrats voted down a short-term funding bill to give more time for long-term negotiations.
According to The New York Post, just three Senate Democrats voted in favor of the measure that would have extended funding for government workers. Now, tens of thousands of “non-essential” government operations have shut down for the first time since 2018. They will be without pay for 35 days while negotiations continue.
The White House decried the shutdown on X after the vote, stating, “Tonight, Democrats put the needs of Illegal Aliens over every American.”
Republican leaders are blaming Democrats over allegations that the liberal leaders refused to vote to fund the government unless the GOP agreed to provide “free” taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., posted a clip of Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., responding to the question of whether her party seeks to give healthcare to illegals. She responded, “Democrats are demanding healthcare for everybody.”
America, Maxine Waters just said the quiet part out loud:
— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) October 1, 2025
1—Democrats want hardworking Americans to pay for the healthcare of illegal aliens.
2—They still unapologetically put foreign lawbreakers first.
3—They are shutting down the government in an attempt to make this happen. https://t.co/KwkWO7lSo2
Donalds responded to this ideology, “Democrats want hardworking Americans to pay for the healthcare of illegal aliens. They still unapologetically put foreign lawbreakers first. They are shutting down the government in an attempt to make this happen.”
Rep. Nancy Mace also commented on this issue. “Democrats defunded our troops tonight. All so they could prioritize illegals over Americans.” She urged Americans to vote them out in next year’s midterms.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., stated, “Democrats made it clear: government workers don’t get paid until illegal aliens get free healthcare. They don’t care if our soldiers have to wait for their paychecks.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of “punishing their own constituents to fight for illegals.” She called it “derranged.”
But Rep. John Fettermen, D-Pa., was one of those three Democrats who voted with Republicans to prevent a government shutdown. He explained his position after the vote in a post to X. He called it “A sad day for our nation.”
It’s a sad day for our nation.
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 30, 2025
Our government shuts down at midnight.
I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government.
My vote was our country over my party.
Together, we must find a better way forward. pic.twitter.com/lK1gqIIi60
“I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government. My vote was our country over my party. Together, we must find a better way forward.”
“Asylum seekers” have been legally granted Affordable Care Act (ACA) access for emergency services, but whether the masses of migrants who unlawfully entered the United States and were “processed” by the Biden administration have been accessing these benefits, as well as other taxpayer programs like Medicaid, is still being denied by various lawmakers.
However, in August, RSBN reported that the Trump administration had to crack down on illegal immigrants using Medicaid benefits. This came after the Congressional Budget Office found that $16.2 billion in taxpayer funding had been spent under the Biden administration for “Medicaid-funded emergency services to illegal aliens during the first three years of the Administration.”