Six Days and Stalemate: U.S. Government Shutdown Deepens as Trump, Schumer, and Johnson Trade Blame

Key Facts

Published: October 5, 2025 Location: Washington, D.C. Source: AP, Washington Times, Just the News, Fox News

• Government shutdown enters sixth day with no progress as both parties refuse to compromise
• Senate Democrats demand Obamacare subsidies be renewed before funding is restored
• Polls show public blames both sides, with Trump and Republicans receiving slightly more blame
• Speaker Mike Johnson accuses Democrats of favoring higher medical payments for illegal immigrants

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The U.S. government shutdown entered its sixth day Monday, with little sign of progress as Democrats and Republicans remained entrenched in a bitter standoff over health care subsidies and immigration-related provisions tied to government funding.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) accused Democrats of deliberately prolonging the impasse. “They have the controlling card right now,” Thune said on Fox News, insisting that the only path forward is for Democrats to support the House-passed continuing resolution, which funds the government through November 21.

Senate Democrats, however, continue to block the measure, demanding renewal of expanded Obamacare premium subsidies that were first implemented during the COVID-19 emergency and are set to expire this year. “The only way this will be solved is if five people sit together in a room and solve it,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), referring to stalled high-level talks among himself, Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and President Donald Trump.

A new CBS News poll shows 39 percent of Americans blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, while 30 percent blame Democrats, and 31 percent fault both parties.

President Trump criticized Fox News for what he called biased coverage, saying it “is so bad for Republicans that it is hard to believe that we win.” Schumer countered that the president “isn’t taking the shutdown seriously,” accusing him of golfing and posting memes instead of negotiating.

While essential services such as defense and law enforcement continue, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are furloughed, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating $400 million in daily costs due to lost work and eventual back pay. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has already delayed its monthly jobs report, complicating economic forecasts.

Amid the political blame game, the American Federation of Government Employees filed a lawsuit alleging the Education Department forced workers to include partisan blame statements against Democrats in their automatic email replies.

House Speaker Johnson further escalated tensions Sunday, accusing Senate Democrats of seeking to pay hospitals more for treating illegal immigrants than U.S. citizens, citing page 57, section 2141 of Schumer’s counterproposal. “As a condition for ending the Democrat shutdown, Democrats want hospitals paid MORE to treat illegal aliens than American citizens — including young pregnant women,” Johnson wrote on X, directing readers to Speaker.gov to verify the claim.

Schumer dismissed Johnson’s statements as “absurd distractions,” claiming Republicans are avoiding real negotiations. Democrats continue to insist that any resolution must ensure the continuation of health care subsidies before the Nov. 1 open-enrollment period for Obamacare exchanges.

For now, Washington remains locked in stalemate — with federal workers, families, and markets caught in the middle, as the shutdown’s sixth day ends without a clear exit path.

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