By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 05 November 2025 04:00 PM EST
Republican negotiators are deeply divided over the duration of a stopgap spending bill as the government shutdown enters its 36th day. The House-passed continuing resolution would fund the government only through Nov. 21, but no resolution is in sight.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., an appropriator and ally of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said discussions remain ongoing. “There’s a big argument to be made for January, and there’s a big argument to be made for Dec. 19,” he told The Hill.
Thune acknowledged the Nov. 21 date is “lost” after 14 failed attempts by the Senate to advance a short-term funding bill. “It’s a question now of what the next date is,” he said.
At a Senate Republicans’ weekly policy luncheon, Sens. John Hoeven of North Dakota and Jerry Moran of Kansas backed a late December deadline, while Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Eric Schmitt of Missouri advocated for January. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., noted the debate remains unresolved: “There are good arguments on both sides.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed skepticism about extending funding beyond November but acknowledged a January date “makes sense” amid concerns over the risks of nearing Christmas. “We don’t want to have that risk,” he said, adding negotiations remain open.
The 36-day shutdown is the longest in U.S. history. Democrats insist any deal address health care priorities, including Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at year’s end and Medicaid cuts from President Donald Trump’s summer spending package. Republicans argue these issues can be resolved after the government is reopened.
