WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly dismissed a Democratic offer to reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies for a year, calling it a “nonstarter” as the partisan impasse over the shutdown continued into its 38th day.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer made the offer to reopen the government on Friday amid Republicans’ refusal to negotiate on demands to extend health care subsidies. It was a significantly narrowed version of a broader Democratic proposal laid out a month ago, which aimed to make health tax credits permanent and reverse Medicaid cuts enacted earlier this year by Republicans.
Schumer proposed simultaneous votes to end the government shutdown and extend the expiring health care subsidies, alongside the creation of a bipartisan committee to address Republican demands for changes to the Affordable Care Act.
“All Republicans have to do is say yes,” Schumer said.
However, Republicans quickly rejected the offer, and Thune reiterated that they would not discuss health care offers until after the government reopens.
“That’s what we’re going to negotiate once the government opens up,” Thune said after Schumer’s proposal on the Senate floor. He added that the offer indicated Democrats were “feeling the heat.”
“I guess you could characterize that as progress. But I just don’t think it gets anywhere close to what we need to do here,” Thune said.
Republicans met Friday afternoon with no resolution about steps forward.
“We’re back to square one,” said Sen. John Kennedy, adding that he could not predict when the shutdown will end.
### Growing Urgency Amid Shutdown
Despite the stalemate, lawmakers from both parties expressed increasing urgency to reopen the government. Airlines were forced to cut more than 1,000 flights, government workers remained unpaid, and food aid was delayed for millions.
Thune appealed to Democrats as he opened the Senate on Friday to “end these weeks of misery.”
It remained unclear what would happen next. Thune kept the Senate in session over the weekend while a group of moderate Democrats worked on a possible compromise proposal.
President Donald Trump called on the Senate to stay in session “until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown.”
### Moderates Continue to Negotiate
As party leaders clashed, a small group of Democrats led by New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen continued negotiations both internally and with rank-and-file Republicans to craft a deal that would end the shutdown.
The group has been discussing a possible vote on a series of bills to fund parts of the government including food aid, veterans programs, and the legislative branch. They aimed to extend funding for all other government functions until December or January.
These three annual spending bills are products of bipartisan negotiations ongoing throughout the shutdown. However, any agreement would only guarantee a future vote on health care, not a guaranteed extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies by year-end—something many Democrats find unacceptable.
Republican leaders need just five additional votes to fund the government, but the negotiation group numbered between 10 and 12 Democratic senators.
“Unfortunately, the Republicans made it very clear that they were not going to go along with the offer that Senator Schumer put on the floor, so we need another path forward,” Shaheen said Friday evening as she left a meeting with other moderates. “We’re working on it.”
### Republicans Eye New Package of Bills
At a White House breakfast Wednesday, Trump urged Republicans to end the shutdown quickly and scrap the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 Senate votes for most legislation, allowing them to bypass Democrats altogether.
“I am totally in favor of terminating the filibuster, and we would be back to work within 10 minutes after that vote took place,” Trump said Friday.
Republicans have emphatically rejected Trump’s call. Instead, Thune has been considering a bipartisan package resembling the moderate Democrats’ outline.
However, it remains unclear what Thune would offer on health care, as he has refused to negotiate thus far.
The proposed package would replace the House-passed legislation Democrats have rejected fourteen times. That bill would only extend government funding until Nov. 21, a rapidly approaching deadline after six weeks of deadlock.
### A Crucial Choice for Democrats
If Thune chooses to advance the new legislation, a test vote could occur in the coming days, putting Democrats in a difficult position.
They would have to decide whether to continue pushing for a meaningful deal to extend expiring health care subsidies—prolonging the government shutdown crisis—or vote to reopen the government and trust Republicans’ promises of a future health care vote without a guaranteed outcome.
After a Thursday caucus meeting, most Democrats leaned toward continuing to press Trump and Republican leaders to negotiate.
“That’s what leaders do,” said Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M. “You have the gavel, you have the majority, you have to bring people together.”
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, acknowledged that Democrats are “obviously not unanimous,” but noted, “without something on health care, the vote is very unlikely to succeed.”
### Johnson Delivers Setback to Bipartisan Talks
Pressure is mounting on Democrats from unions eager to end the shutdown and allied groups encouraging them to hold firm.
Many argue that recent Democratic electoral wins indicate voter support for continuing the fight until Republicans agree to extend health tax credits.
A vote on health care “has got to mean something,” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. “That means a commitment by the speaker of the House, that he will support the legislation, that the president will sign.”
But Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., made clear he will not make any promises.
“I’m not promising anybody anything,” Johnson said Thursday when asked if he could guarantee a vote on a health care bill.
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