THURSDAY:
VOTE TRACKER: SENATE DEM package has failed.
VOTE TRACKER: GOP CR has failed.
Late yesterday Senator Patty Murray tweeted a clip from a press conference and for “being on vacation.”
She tweeted:
“A reporter asked me what my conversations have been like with @RepNewhouse and @RepBaumgartner Nonexistent—they’ve been on vacation. But if they WERE here, I’d say it’s YOUR constituents that are most at risk. You need to talk to Speaker Johnson about protecting health care.”
In response Congressman Baumgartner posted:
“Patty, you’ve been in the Senate for THIRTY FOUR YEARS. You know exactly how much damage you are doing to federal government workers, the military and those who depend on fed programs with your refusal to join Republicans in voting for a Biden era budget continuing spending resolution. It’s not a game, real people will be hurt. Show some bipartisan statesmanship, step back from this poltical nonsense and help the government reopen so that fuller budget discussions can continue. Do the right thing.”
Nonstop Local shutdown with the Congressman who took the republican standpoint, which is “we did our job, its now up to senate democrats to pass the CR.”
He also said the Senator has his phone number and can call whenever.
Nonstop Local reached out to Senator Murrays team who said her position remains, committed to negotiating with Republicans to reopening the government and accomplishing her noted healthcare goals for the American people.
WEDNESDAY:
VOTE TRACKER: SENATE DEM package has failed.
VOTE TRACKER: GOP CR has failed.
5:10 PM update, votes are taking place.
Senator Steve Danies (R-MT) is on the floor.
Senator Murray (D-WA) Senator Cantwell (D-WA) both on the floor at the same time
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) hosted a press conference today with stakeholders over the concern of loss of affordable healthcare and or the spike in premiums.
Speakers included Rebecca Staffel, a freelancer in Seattle, and Jason Lohr-Johnson, a self-employed video producer in Seattle, both of whom rely on the ACA tax credits to afford health insurance.
“On average, families who lose these tax credits are going to see their monthly premiums more than double. Some people will see their premiums costs triple, even quadruple. For many people, premiums will jump by over a thousand dollars a month. There are going to be millions of people who simply will not be able to stay uninsured, including an estimated 80,000 people in Washington state. In fact, there’s a new poll this week found that seven out of ten families would not be able to afford their coverage if premiums double, and four in ten would likely just go uninsured,” said Senator Murray. “That is the reality Republicans are now refusing to address. And if Republicans continue this refusal to act, it will mean people across America skip basic care, or skimp on prescriptions, or miss out on life-saving treatments. This was completely avoidable. It is completely avoidable. But only if Republican leaders stop sitting on their hands and start sitting at the negotiating table.”
Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) spent the morning presiding over the United States Senate.
“Its incredible.. and an honor to be in the senate right now,” Sheehy said, “there is no question America is divided right now.”
The Senator from Montana disagreed with Senator Murray’s assessment on health care.
The Senator referencing the shut down and current gridlock in Washington.
“I firmly believe we agree on more than we disagree,” Sheehy said, “we have to get this done in the next week– our troops are not going to get paid.”
He added that he feels the shutdown could move into next week.
“This is probably going to last until — theres a “No Kings,” rally coming up next week here in DC, from what we are hearing Schumer wants to be marching at the front.”
Sheehy says he feels Democrats should have the conversation about healthcare in committee versus via the shutdown.
Multiple Democrats in our region have said they support the Democratic package as they don’t feel they have the leverage power in committee.
“This could be done in an hour, Schumer needs to come to the table,” Sheehy said, “Clean CR we are not changing anything about the government, let’s continue as is, and have this spending battle in 7 weeks.”
Watch the fill interview here:
TUESDAY:
Today the President is meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister. This comes on the heels of a new OMB memo that says fougerloud federal employees might not receive backpay.
Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), the Senate Majority Whip, spoke on the Senate Floor about the impacts the shutdown from his perspective and its impact on Wyoming families.
“Democrats have now voted five times to keep the government closed. I’ve read their ransom note. Democrats are demanding taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants. They want to cut funding for rural hospitals to pay for it. That is their price to reopen the government. They’re holding the American people hostage,” Barrasso said on the floor.
You can watch Barrassos full remarks here.
Democrats have said they want to negotiate on the topic of health care. Republicans have said they are willing to do that when the Government is open. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) said that same sentiment to NonStop Local last week.
“I haven’t seen this much political theater since Hamilton,” Daines said last Friday.
Senator Daines says he feels Democrats will maintain the same amount of leverage as Republicans do not have enough votes to beat the filibuster. If they pass the House CR thats currently in the Senate it extend funding through mid November.
In short– we could find ourselves in the same position in November that we are now. Which is why Senator Daines feels that Democrats would maintain their leverage on healthcare negotiations.
““I hear Democrats claim they want to negotiate. Well, open the government. We are ready to negotiate. Every day Democrats choose to keep the government closed is another day spent ignoring and rejecting the priorities of the American people,” Barrasso said, “If Democrats actually want to negotiate, they would reopen the government today. It’s that simple. Today, the Senate will vote for the sixth time on a clean continuing resolution. It is something Democrats approved 13 times when Joe Biden was President. Senate Democrats have a choice. Vote yes and end the Schumer Shutdown. Or vote no and tell the American people why their pain and their opinion doesn’t matter to the Democrats.”
Last week we spoke with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) on the topic of negotiations. She says she’s waiting for Republicans to come to the table and get serious. And she feels their word is not genuine which is why Democrats are in the position they are in right now on the topic of health care.
“Why would we say oh lets give you the votes to open up government– on an empty promise, and then they will do the same thing they have been doing for eight months under this administration,” Murray said, “we need a commitment but they are actually going to work with us.”
If the Dem CR would have passed (which is unlikely) it would have including an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies and money to offset medicaid cuts.
This web copy is being updated in real time.
Via email this morning Senator Patty Murrays (D-WA) team sent out her full floor speech on the topic.
“Let me just start by giving our lawless President and OMB Director a little primer on the letter of the law,” Murray said, “Because this morning we learned they’re plotting to try and rob furloughed federal workers of back pay at the end of this shutdown… and in fact, the OPM guidance the Administration actually issued last month reaffirmed that furloughed employees will be paid.”
You can watch her full remarks here.
Monday:
The shutdown is now in its sixth day.
VOTE TRACKER: SENATE DEM package has failed.
VOTE TRACKER: GOP HOUSE CR has failed.
Senator Tim Sheehy voting “NO” on the Senate floor, this vote was on the Dem CR.
The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt is currently briefing the press, she called this the “Democrat Shutdown,” she said Democrats are holding the government hostage and trying to give illegal immigrants health insurance, that is factually not correct, and has been fact checked several times.
“Its not true, none of the things that we are talking about weather is the ACA tax credit, or Medicaid/Medicare – undocumented immigrants today, cannot access those programs,” Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) said, “this is a red herring they are trying to throw out, that they always use- undocumented immigrants—on everything they want to scare everybody about, not true.”
A VOTE WILL TAKE PLACE TONIGHT. Leavitt threatened that layoffs are coming.
The Speaker of the House has said he will not bRing the house back– he put blame at the feet of senate Democrats.
In short– with the house out, the pressure campaign is essentially, “pass the House version of the legislation,” if the senate makes edits, add amendments, or passes the Dem version (which is unlikely) it would need a House vote.
On Friday, Congressman Troy Downing (R-MT) said exclusively to NonStop Local, the house had done it job and he feels the Senate needs to pass the House version.
SATURDAY:
Government is still closed. The house has been sent home and no votes are expected in the senate.
FRIDAY:
VOTE TRACKER: 52 NAYS– the vote has failed on the senate bill sponsored by Democrats, the government stays closed.
VOTE TRACKER: The house version has failed.
The government is still closed.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) is on the floor.
We asked the Senator, who is the ranking member on appropriations, what its like– to stand on the floor during a vote and whats going through her mind.
“What I am always thinking about is the people in Washington state,” Murray said, “these are the people who are in panic, I talked to some small business owners just a few weeks ago on Southwest Washington who do not know how they’re going to deal with this huge increase in their healthcare premiums, they are already being hit by the tariffs that the President has put on them.”
She said– thats who she’s thinking of as she watches senators coming to the floor.
“Im thinking, who are you talking to at home thats telling you things are ok,” Murray said.
“It shouldn’t be closed,” Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) told NonStop Locals Bradley Warren, “We are five democratic senators away, if they just join us here this afternoon for what we call a clean extension of funding between now and November 21.”
The Senator points out Democrats did this 13 times under the Biden administration, he says a CR would allow for appropriation conversations to continue.
“I haven’t seen this much political theater since Hamilton,” Daines said.
Senator Daines responded to remarks from Senator Murray about Democrats looking for assurances that healthcare conversations would actually take place.
“I respectfully disagree with Senator Murray,” Daiens said, “if they stop the shut down by voting with us here this afternoon they will extend funding till November.”
The senator says Democrats have a lot of leverage and will continue to maintain that leverage into November.
He says negotiations can begin in earnest when Government reopens. Senator Murray said yesterday she feels that wont be the case, saying she has concern giving votes to Republicans on empty promises based on the last eight months.
The senator says he feels Schumer’s leadership position is in question and that he’s pandering to the far-left portion of his party.
Some reporting from NBC indicates there is truth to that.
“There were some really good conversations last night, and I don’t want to provide the details out of respect my Democratic colleagues,” Daines said, “who in ernest are trying to find a way through this.”
Senator Daines is on the floor, NonStop Local just spoke to him, updates to come.
THURSDAY:
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) sat for an interview with NonStop Local, she firmly places blame for the shut down at the feet of the Republicans.
“We have been telling Republicans for weeks now that we want to make sure that people care insurance doesn’t skyrocket in January,” Murray said, “and we want assurances that the bills we approved together, Republicans and Democrats will be followed in the law, by the president.”
The senator says Republicans chose to ignore meeting requests from Democrats and that Democrats are working hard to get Republicans to the table.
Late yesterday OMD and the President made announcements about potential mass firings and the cutting of appropriated funds into the tune of $8 billion for programs and 16 states.
Those states are blue states that voted for Harris.
“It is unprecedented that the President of the United States is using this opportunity to threaten people and take away funding for projects that have nothing to do with a shut down,” Murray said, “we are at the table we are ready to negotiate he doesn’t need to have a temper tantrum, he doesn’t need to scare people, what they need to do is come talk to us.”
During previous shut downs — mass firings have not taken place.
The bulk of this conversation has roots in healthcare. Republicans have said they’re willing to have that conversation, but they do not feel it should be done at the expense of the the government being open, they would like a CR and say healthcare negotiations can take place after the CR passes.
Senator Murray says she doesn’t have faith that will take place.
“Why would we say oh lets give you the votes to open up government– on an empty promise, and then they will do the same thing they have been doing for eight months under this administration,” Murray said, “we need a commitment but they are actually going to work with us.”
You can WATCH the full sit down here:
Several top government websites now are running a banner that say “The Radical Left,” has shut down the government.
Democratic aids said via email that the Trump administration’s message on the websites likely violates a government-wide provision in standing spending laws.
Pages 290 and 291 have the word for word language.
Wednesday:
WASHINGTON — The federal government is closed, and Washington D.C. appears to be locked in a stalemate. NonStop Local is tracking reaction from lawmakers across the northwest.
Idaho:
Congressman Russ Fulcher (R-ID) says conversations were ongoing to keep the government operational throughout Tuesday.
“The Republicans in the House really did their job, we sent a bill over to the Senate,” Fulcher said, “it was a continuation of funding for the government through November 21. which would give us time to finish the appropriations [process.]”
The congressman said the sticking point have to do with healthcare and he didn’t feel Republicans would back down given the recent legislative wins and presidential win they’ve had.
“I don’t think that Republicans have come this far with the “Big Beautiful Bill and these policies to stop at this point, and reversed course,” Fulcher said. “They want to [Democrats] reinsert taxpayer health care for illegals, they want to repeal a lot of money that we put in for border security, really it’s kind of a relitigation of a lot of things that got passed in the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) called the Democratic proposal “unserious” on social media.
“(Democrats) are demanding an unserious proposal that would increase government spending by a staggering $1 trillion and wipe out a vast majority of the savings Republicans have worked diligently to pass since the start of the Congress. The Senate will keep voting to reopen the government–Democrats have the choice either to support a CR as they did 13 times under the previous Administration, or pursue unreasonable political objectives.
Washington:
We asked Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) about these remarks, she is the ranking member on the appropriations committee, and was on the floor all night as votes took place, her team responded with the fact check article from the New York Times and this statement:
“Republicans are outright lying because their attacks on health care are massively unpopular. Here’s the simple truth: undocumented immigrants are not eligible to enroll in federally-funded health coverage under existing law or Democrats’ funding proposal—but millions of American citizens will see their health care premiums double next year if Republicans keep refusing to act,” Senator Murray said via email statement, “At a time when prices for just about everything are skyrocketing, Republicans are making matters worse and refusing to work with Democrats to prevent Americans’ premiums from doubling.”
Both Democrats and Republicans have sent legislation to the Senate that did not pass – that ended in the closure of government operations Wednesday.
Republicans control all three branches of government, but to bypass the filibuster, also known as cloture they need it 60 votes in the senate, which Republicans do not have.
Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) took to social media to blame Democrats.
“The Democrats should step back from their short-sighted plan to use a government shutdown to placate their base and attempt to expand Obamacare,” Baumgartner wrote. “It won’t work. Important Federal employees and tax-paying citizens will suffer as a result.”
UPDATE WED 1:15 PT-
Congressman Michael Baumgartner notified the Chief Administrative Officer, Catherine Szpindor of his decision to defer his congressional salary until during the shut down in solidarity with furloughed members of our armed forces.
“It’s disappointing that Democrats have taken the reckless step of shutting down the Government. Eastern Washington is home to Fairchild Air Force Base and countless military families who make sacrifices for this nation every day,” said Baumgartner. “It is unacceptable that the men and women who wear the uniform and stand guard for our freedoms should ever have their pay withheld because of dysfunction in Washington DC. I will continue working to restore government funding responsibly and ensure our service members receive the support they have earned.”
Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-04) spoke to NonStop Local early today and said Republicans are asking for more time Democrats are asking for policy decisions.
Wyoming:
Early on Republicans branded this “The Schumer Shutdown,” calling the Minority leader more liberal than AOC. That statements for echoed early Wednesday by Senator Barrasso (R-WY.)
““Senate Democrats have now officially dragged our nation into a Schumer Shutdown. This shutdown did not have to happen, and it certainly does not need to continue,” Barrasso said on the floor. “There is only one good option to reopen the government. That option is the bipartisan, clean continuing resolution that we will vote on this morning. The House already passed it with bipartisan support. President Trump is ready to sign it. Senate Republicans voted to pass it yesterday. All it takes to reopen the government is cooperation from just five more Senate Democrats. We picked up three Democrats last night.”
Montana:
Early today Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) was on CNBCS “Squawk Box,” and said he was hoping to shut down is not long, and that this will come to an end when five more Democrats joining republicans to pass a temporary extension.
That temporary expansion will run through November 21st.
Senator Daines was among the first brand it “The Schumer Shut Down.”
This statement was emailed out last night before the shut down went into full force.
“Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats showed their true colors when they ignored the best interests of the American people and voted to shut down the federal government tonight,” Daines via email release, “Shutdowns do nothing but hurt our country- our brave service members will not get paid and millions of Montanans, including our veterans, will lose access to services they depend on. This shutdown is nothing but an attempt by Senate Democrats to score political points from their radical base, but the American people see right through it. I’ll keep fighting to re-open the government, so we can get back to work delivering wins for Montana and the nation.”
Montana’s newly elected republican senator, Senator Tim Sheehy pointed the finger to the far left.
“Chuck Schumer and the Democrats put partisan games over the best interests of the American people and shut down the government,” Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) said, “Democrats are holding critical resources for our military, veterans, and hardworking Montana families hostage to appease their radical, far-left base. I was elected on a promise to restore common sense in our nation’s capital, and I’ll keep voting to stop the Schumer Shutdown and get back to work.”
Article originally published October 1, 2025 at 11:06 a.m.
