Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Senate rejects competing funding bills; government shutdown imminent — On September 30, the Senate rejected both a Republican-backed funding extension through November 21 and a Democratic alternative that included healthcare provisions. Democrats blocked the GOP bill while Republicans blocked the Democratic measure; neither cleared the 60-vote threshold. The White House threatened mass federal worker layoffs if shutdown occurs. Senate Republican leaders announced plans to revote on Wednesday to pressure Democrats to switch positions.
• Senate failed to pass continuing resolution; government shutdown imminent — The Senate adjourned on September 30 without passing a continuing resolution to fund the government beyond the deadline. Republicans refused to include Democrats in negotiations. Democrats, whose votes were needed for passage, refused to support a continuing resolution unless it included a fix to extend premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans had extended 2017 tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations while allowing premium tax credits to expire at year's end, which would cause healthcare insurance premiums to skyrocket by approximately 75 percent. The impasse resulted in a government shutdown.
• US federal government shutdown after Senate rejects competing funding bills — The US federal government shut down at midnight on October 1, 2025, after the Senate failed to advance either a Republican-drafted continuing resolution (55-45 vote) or a Democratic proposal (47-53 vote). Republicans control both chambers but lack the 60-vote Senate threshold needed to pass funding without Democratic support. The shutdown marks the first since December 2018. Democrats demanded extension of ACA premium tax credits and reversal of Medicaid cuts; Republicans refused. The White House announced plans to furlough approximately 750,000 federal workers.
• US federal government shutdown begins; Democrats demand healthcare concessions — On October 1, 2025, federal government funding lapsed, triggering a shutdown. As of mid-October, Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have refused to vote to reopen the government without concessions on healthcare (ACA premium tax credits, Medicaid cuts reversal), public media funding, and limits on Trump's "pocket rescissions" authority. Republicans have demanded funding restart before negotiations. Seven Senate votes have failed to reach the 60-vote threshold. The shutdown has forced hundreds of thousands of federal employees to remain unpaid and prompted agency closures nationwide.
• Senate Adjourns Without Passing Government Funding Resolution — On September 30, 2025, the Senate adjourned without reaching an agreement on a continuing resolution to fund the government, which had been passed by the House. The failure to negotiate was attributed to Republican refusal to include Democrats in discussions, leading to a potential government shutdown. Democrats insisted that any resolution must include an extension of premium tax credits for healthcare under the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans allowed to expire.
• Federal government shut down — The federal government shut down on October 1 after the Republican-controlled Congress failed to pass proposals to keep the government open. It is the first government shutdown since Trump's first term, which lasted 34 days between December 2018 and January 2019.
• US federal government shutdown enters third day; Senate votes fail on competing funding proposals — The US federal government remained shut down for a third consecutive day on Friday, October 3, 2025, after the Senate failed to advance either Democratic or Republican funding proposals in a fourth round of voting. Neither bill secured the 60 votes needed for passage. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called for Democrats to support the Republican continuing resolution, while Democrats demanded inclusion of healthcare protections and reversal of Medicaid cuts before reopening. The shutdown, which began Wednesday at midnight, is expected to continue into the following week.

Supporting reports

• Trump blamed Democrats for shutdown and threatened irreversible cuts — Speaking to reporters on September 30, Trump blamed Democratic lawmakers for the impending government shutdown, but added that his administration "can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them, and irreversible by them. Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like." The statement indicates an intent to use the shutdown as an opportunity to make permanent cuts to programs favored by Democrats.
• Trump threatens mass federal worker layoffs during shutdown — President Trump stated that if the government shuts down, the administration will conduct mass layoffs of federal workers, adding that "they're going to be Democrats." The threat was made during negotiations over a funding bill and reflects potential use of shutdown conditions to purge federal employees on partisan grounds.
• Trump told reporters administration will use shutdown to cut healthcare and benefits — On Tuesday, after addressing military leaders, Trump told White House reporters that the administration intends to use the government shutdown to cut programs the American people support, including healthcare access and benefits. Trump stated the administration can use the shutdown to make "irreversible" cuts to programs Democrats favor and to "cut large numbers of people out" of benefits. He cited OMB Director Russell Vought's ability to "trim the budget to a level that you couldn't do any other way" and acknowledged the administration is using the shutdown as an opportunity to implement cuts that would otherwise face opposition.

Supporting reports

• House Speaker Johnson cancels sessions to block swearing-in of newly elected representative — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) canceled House sessions on September 29 and 30 to prevent the swearing-in of Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), who was elected on September 23. Grijalva's swearing-in would provide the 218th signature needed on a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing files from the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. Trump, named in those files, and his officials have promised to release them but have attempted to avoid doing so.
• Rep. Raskin stated shutdown prevents swearing in of new representative — Representative Jamie Raskin stated on MSNBC that the government shutdown conveniently prevents the swearing in of newly elected Representative Adelita Grijalva, who would be the 218th Democratic signature needed to discharge the Epstein files from committee. Raskin implied the shutdown timing was deliberate to block the discharge petition.

Supporting reports

• White House issued fact sheet attributing government shutdown risk to Democratic opposition — The White House published a fact sheet titled "Democrats Put Veterans, Seniors, Public Safety at Risk with Shutdown Push" on September 29, 2025, as the federal government funding deadline approached September 30. The document compiled statements from veterans organizations, law enforcement groups, business associations, and other stakeholders opposing a government shutdown and supporting a House-passed continuing resolution. The fact sheet attributed shutdown risk to Democratic obstruction and framed the consequences as threats to veterans' benefits, seniors' services, law enforcement pay, food assistance programs, and flood insurance coverage.

Supporting reports

• American Federation of Government Employees files lawsuit challenging deferred resignation program — The American Federation of Government Employees and other labor unions representing federal workers filed a lawsuit challenging the deferred resignation program, alleging it circumvents congressional authority, undermines statutorily required government functions by causing mass employee departures, and was enacted under threat of firings. The lawsuit remains ongoing as of the article date. AFGE president Everett Kelley stated the program should not be viewed as voluntary and represents an effort to create a toxic work environment.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration reallocates $2 billion in foreign aid — The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to reallocate nearly $2 billion in foreign aid towards priorities that advance Trump's "America First" agenda, including countering "Marxist, anti-American regimes" in Latin America, despite the funds already being appropriated by Congress.