Washington– Senators are working over the weekend for the first time since the government shutdown began more than a month ago, hoping for a bipartisan solution that has eluded them so far. Government employees remained without payit was the airlines Had to cancel flights SNAP benefits were Delayed for millions of Americans.
As the weekend session began on Saturday, it was unclear whether Republicans and Democrats could make any progress toward reopening the government and breaking the 39-day partisan gridlock. Republicans on Friday He rejected an offer from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer To reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies by a year, Thune called it “unsuccessful.”
Republicans refused to deal with Democrats, who are demanding that Republican Party leaders and President Donald Trump negotiate a solution Extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits Which expires at the end of the year. But GOP leaders have signaled their openness to the emerging proposal from a small group of moderate Democrats to reopen the government in exchange for a vote on health care later.
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is leading talks among moderates, said Friday evening that Democrats “need another path forward” after Republicans rejected Schumer’s offer. “We are working on it,” she said.
As the leaders of the two parties disagreed, the small group of Democrats led by Shaheen continued to negotiate among themselves and with some rank-and-file Republicans a deal that would end the shutdown.
The group has been discussing for weeks votes on a series of bills that would pay for parts of the government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among others — and extend funding for everything else until December or January. The three annual spending bills likely to be included are the product of bipartisan negotiations that have continued throughout the shutdown.
But the contours of this agreement will only come with a promise of a vote on health care in the future, not a guarantee of extending Affordable Care Act subsidies by the end of the year. Many Democrats said this was unacceptable.
However, Republican leaders only need five additional votes to fund the government, and the group participating in the talks has ranged from 10 to 12 Democratic senators.
While these Democrats were speaking, Republicans were hoping they could reach an agreement to end the shutdown and later negotiate a health care compromise. Some Republicans have said they are open to extending tax breaks in the era of COVID-19, when premiums could rise for millions of Americans, but they want to put new limits on who can get the benefits.
“We’ve had really good discussions with a lot of Democrats,” said South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds.
Trump urged Republicans during a White House breakfast on Wednesday to quickly end the shutdown and eliminate the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 votes in the Senate for most legislation, so they can bypass Democrats entirely.
“I fully support ending the filibuster, and we will be back to work within 10 minutes after the vote is taken,” Trump said on Friday.
Republicans have Absolutely rejected Trump’s call, Thune was instead eyeing a bipartisan package that mirrored the proposal drawn up by moderate Democrats. But it is unclear what Thune, who has refused to negotiate, will pledge on health care.
The package will replace House-passed legislation that Democrats have rejected 14 times since the shutdown began. The current bill would extend government funding only until November 21, a date that is rapidly approaching after six weeks of inaction.
A test vote on the new legislation could be held in the next few days if Thune decides to move forward.
Democrats will then have a crucial choice: whether to continue fighting for a meaningful agreement on an extension Subsidies Which ends in January, with the lockdown prolonged? Or do they vote to reopen the government and hope for the best while Republicans promise a final vote on health care, but no guaranteed outcome?
After a caucus meeting on Thursday, most Democrats indicated they would continue to stick with Trump and Republican leaders’ agreement to negotiations.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said Democrats are “clearly not unanimous” but “without something on health care, the vote is unlikely to succeed.”
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said they need to stand strong after the crushing defeat Victories for Democrats On election day, they demand an extension of support instead of just the promised vote.
Sanders said people “cast their votes against Trumpism.” “Part of that vote was to say to Democrats: ‘Hold on tight, don’t give up, don’t force us to pay two or three times as much in health care premiums.’”
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Associated Press writers Seung-Min Kim, Kevin Freking, Joey Cappelletti, Stephen Groves and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.