The Senate is currently voting on two competing bills to fund the government ahead of a midnight deadline, with both facing significant opposition. The first bill is a Democratic proposal that includes healthcare provisions Republicans have rejected, while the second is a House GOP continuing resolution that most Democrats do not plan to support. The government is set to run out of funding at midnight tonight, with reports indicating that members of Congress will still receive paychecks while federal workers will not. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has notified Congress of a substantial expansion to an arms sale for Estonia, quadrupling long-range ATACMS munitions and doubling HIMARS launchers. This move, confirmed by Kyiv Post, represents a $4.2 billion boost to a 2022 deal and aims to strengthen Baltic defense amid escalating Russian incursions. Separately, Nevada's acting U.S. attorney is reportedly facing an FBI investigation into claims that she urged a probe into debunked 2020 election fraud allegations to influence congressional races and ensnare Democrats, according to a Reuters exclusive. In domestic political developments, President Trump has been quoted as saying, "A lot of good can come down from shutdowns. We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn't want," as cited by Chris Murphy. Senator Katie Britt stated that Senate Democrats are "putting you at risk to serve their own political interests and protect themselves from their radical base" as the deadline approaches. Some Senate Democrats, including moderates like Maggie Hassan and Catherine Cortez Masto, are reportedly still undecided on supporting a shutdown, according to Axios. During a White House meeting on Monday, President Trump offered "Trump 2028" hats to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, which they declined, according to Punchbowl News. The exchange reportedly led to laughter when Jeffries asked Vice President JD Vance about his presidential ambitions, to which Vance responded, "No comment." The report also noted Trump showing the leaders a new wall of former presidents, featuring an autopen photo in place of Joe Biden. In international news, South Korea and the U.S. have launched a working group to address visa issues for skilled Korean workers, as reported by Yonhap News. In a separate development, Defense officials have expressed reservations about Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent meetings, with Politico reporting the sentiment that "Could have been an email." Secretary Tina Smith also quoted Hegseth as saying, "No more dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship ... we are done with that shit." The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has warned that the last government shutdown cost the economy $3 billion that was never regained, according to a letter shared by burgessev. The Congressional Budget Office previously projected that up to 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed daily if a shutdown occurs, costing approximately $400 million per day. The Teamsters union has urged Senators to pass a clean, short-term funding bill to avoid the shutdown's impact on working people.
