Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise hold a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, October 17, 2025.
The shutdown of the US government is increasingly resembling a game of poker, with both sides – Democrats and Republicans – convinced they hold the winning hand. The paralysis of the federal government, whose effects were starting to be felt as nearly 700,000 federal employees were furloughed, has entered its third week. And while a way out is beginning to emerge, neither side appears willing to make the first move.
Another vote in the Senate failed on Friday, October 17. This was the 10th attempt since the deadlock began on October 1, with no side budging. The Republicans, who hold the majority with 53 seats to 47, need to convince a handful of Democrats to reach the 60 votes required to pass the bill allocating budgetary funds. Without a vote, the government has been forced to drastically reduce its activities: only workers deemed essential have continued their duties, without pay.
Democrats, sidelined since Donald Trump’s return to power, have made full use of their single bargaining chip. In exchange for their votes, they are demanding an extension of subsidies introduced under Joe Biden to broaden Obamacare, the healthcare program for the most vulnerable. This measure, which would cost several hundred billion dollars over the next decade, was set to expire in December.
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