WASHINGTON – On Friday, March 14, 2025, at the Capitol in Washington, Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., makes his way to the Senate chamber as the Senate attempts to prevent a partial government shutdown before the midnight deadline. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP)
Washington Hours before a government shutdown, the Senate overcame strong Democratic resistance to a Republican-led budget package on Friday, delivering it to President Donald Trump for signature.
The 54-46 vote, which was almost party-line, did not fully capture the nagging Democratic anxiety about how to deal with the Trump administration as its Department of Government Efficiency shuts down operations and fires federal employees. Republicans produced a proposal that incorporated little of their input, sacrificing housing, health care, and other goals, and Democrats fought over whether to fight even at the risk of a shutdown.
