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Government shutdown updates: Leavitt says Trump exploring cutting aid to Portland

"We will not fund states that allow anarchy," she told reporters.

Last Updated: October 4, 2025, 8:50 AM EDT

The federal government remains closed amid a bitter impasse on Capitol Hill over competing congressional spending bills.

President Donald Trump and Republicans have cast blame for the shutdown on Democrats' health care demands, while Democrats insist Republicans need to negotiate.

The Trump administration has threatened mass layoffs of some federal workers during the shutdown.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Sep 30, 2025, 9:09 PM EDT

Senate adjourns with federal government on track to shut down

The Senate adjourned for the night Tuesday -- with no remaining paths to keep the government open past 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

The Senate is expected to vote again on Wednesday, likely on the same two measures that failed Tuesday -- a seven-week stopgap bill backed by Republicans and a Democratic-backed bill that extends Affordable Care Act subsidies.

Neither bill got the required 60 votes to pass.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Sep 30, 2025, 8:35 PM EDT

White House budget office tells federal agencies to begin carrying out plans for 'orderly shutdown'

With a government shutdown now appearing all but inevitable following two failed votes in the Senate on Tuesday, White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is telling federal agencies they "should now execute their plans for an orderly shutdown."

Government funding is set to lapse at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

In a memo to the heads of federal agencies and departments, Vought cast blame on Democratic senators for the impending shutdown, writing that they are blocking a "clean" continuing resolution to fund the government.

"It is unclear how long Democrats will maintain their untenable posture, making the duration of the shutdown difficult to predict,” Vought wrote. "Regardless, employees should report to work for their next regularly scheduled tour of duty to undertake orderly shutdown activities."

Vought said he would issue another memo indicating that government functions should resume once President Donald Trump signs an appropriations bill.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie and Meghan Mistry

Sep 30, 2025, 7:31 PM EDT

Republican funding bill fails in the Senate

The seven-week stopgap funding measure supported by Republicans was rejected by the Senate by a vote of 55-45, all but guaranteeing the government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

Democrats mostly hung together to deny the 60 votes necessary to keep the government funded as they continue to say that any funding solution most include health care-related provisions. But several Democrats did cross party lines and voted in favor of the clean funding bill.

The U.S. Capitol is seen behind a barricade, September 30, 2025 in Washington.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Democratic Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and John Fetterman voted for the bill, as did Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.

Sen. Rand Paul was the only Republican to vote against the bill.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

Sep 30, 2025, 6:57 PM EDT

Democratic funding bill fails in the Senate

The Democratic funding bill that included health care provisions failed by a vote of 47-53. It needed 60 votes to pass. All Democrats voted for it and all Republicans voted against it.


The Senate is taking up the seven-week clean House-passed funding bill that Republicans support, which also needs 60 votes to pass and is also expected to fail.

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin

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