Senate Democrats on Friday blocked a House-passed bill to fund federal departments and agencies for seven weeks, putting Washington on the path to a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

Democrats came together in near unison to defeat the measure on a 44-48 vote, with only Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) voting for the Republican-drafted proposal, which passed the House earlier Friday by a vote of 217-212.

Two Republicans voted against the House-passed CR: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), an outspoken fiscal hawk, who argued it would prolong Biden-era spending levels, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a centrist who has voiced grave concerns about the Medicaid cuts Trump signed into law earlier this year.

Democrats blocked the House-passed continuing resolution, which would fund government until Nov. 21, after Republicans defeated an alternative Democratic proposal to fund government until Oct. 31, extend health insurance subsidies, and restore nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding cuts.

The two failed votes leave Republican and Democratic leaders at loggerheads over how to avoid a government shutdown in only 11 days.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) put pressure on Democrats to support the House-passed stopgap funding measure, portraying it as the only bill........

© The Hill