Plunged into a government shutdown, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline.
Amid the stalemate, three Democratic members of Congress from San Diego called on their Republican colleagues to negotiate but acknowledged that a government shutdown was likely at midnight.
Earlier this month Republicans in the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through Nov. 21. The government shut down Tuesday night after the Senate failed to pass a funding measure.
At issue is whether to extend tax credits that make Obamacare cheaper for an estimated 22 million Americans — including more than 100,000 in the San Diego area.
“Democrats are ready, willing and able to reach a bipartisan agreement that could keep the government open at a lower heath care cost for Americans,” said Rep. Scott Peters, who represents coastal San Diego County.
But Peters said Republican members of the House had been sent home, making negotiations unlikely.
“Democrats are in Washington. We’re ready to work. We want to compromise,” he said.
Peters was joined by Reps. Mike Levin and Sara Jacobs in an online press conference for members of the San Diego media.
Levin, who represents north coastal San Diego and South Orange County, said that Republican offers to discuss health care after the government is funded aren’t acceptable.
“They’ve had all year. We haven’t had one single, solitary good-faith discussion at the leadership level about extending the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act,” he said.
The three acknowledged that a shutdown will be difficult, with many government employees — including members of the military — not being paid. But the Democrats say the fault is on the Republicans.
“Republicans control the House, the Senate and White House. So this shutdown is on them,” said Jacobs, who represents central San Diego County.
Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed, some potentially fired by the Trump administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution. His deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide.
“We don’t want it to shut down,” Trump said at the White House before the midnight deadline.
But the president, who met privately with congressional leadership this week, appeared unable to negotiate any deal between Democrats and Republicans to prevent that outcome.
This is the third time Trump has presided over a federal funding lapse, the first since his return to the White House this year, in a remarkable record that underscores the polarizing divide over budget priorities and a political climate that rewards hardline positions rather than more traditional compromises.
Updated at 9:39 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025
Chris Jennewein and Associated Press contributed to this article.
