Republicans’ attempt to end the new government shutdown failed Wednesday, but there are signs that Democrats are listening to Republican arguments. pic.twitter.com/0HQDWHhuYf — Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) October 1, 2025Rounds said he told Democrats that the White House would be aggressively targeting unwanted programs during the shutdown, a prime reason to end it. Although Republicans talked with Democrats on the Senate floor, they all made clear that these were not deal-making sessions. Democrats have asked Republicans to provide some guarantee that the president wouldn’t exercise “pocket rescissions”—a legally debated method by which the White House can unilaterally cut funding without congressional approval. From the outset, Democrats have argued that Republicans’ ability to rescind previously appropriated funding along party lines damages bipartisan negotiations.