US President Donald Trump failed to pass the funding bill through the Senate. The bill was voted on late Tuesday night. The bill was voted on with 55 in favor and 45 against
The bill needed 60 votes to pass, which required the support of Trump’s Republican Party’s opposition Democrats, although Democrats voted against the bill.
The 100-member Senate has 53 Republicans, 47 Democrats and two independents. A majority of 60 votes is required to pass the funding bill.
Due to the failure to pass the bill, the shutdown in America has begun at 9:30 am Indian time today. This will bring government operations to a standstill. The risk of 900,000 employees being forced to go on leave has increased. Trump has threatened to fire government employees.
One member of Trump’s Republican Party voted against the funding bill, while two Democratic members voted in favor.
The Democratic Party had introduced its own funding bill containing health care provisions before the Republican Party’s funding bill, but this bill also failed to pass. The vote was 47 in favor and 53 against.
All Democrats voted in favor of it and all Republicans voted against it.
America’s two major parties – Democrats and Republicans – clashed over the Obama health care subsidy program. Democrats wanted to increase health care subsidies.
Republicans feared that if the subsidies were increased, the government would need more money to spend, which would affect other government functions.
President Trump and Democratic leaders met at the White House on Monday to avert a shutdown, but to no avail.
