Senate Majority Leader John Thune convened a meeting with a group of Republican senators on Wednesday to discuss potential paths forward on health care following the government shutdown. The gathering, held in Thune’s office, focused on the fate of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.
The meeting included several high-profile senators, including John Barrass, Bill Cassidy, Shelley Moore Capito, and Rick Scott, who represent a spectrum of opinions within the Republican Party. While some senators, like Scott, have advocated for allowing the subsidies to expire, others, including Thune, have indicated openness to extending them with new conditions. These potential conditions could include income limits, fraud-prevention measures, and other changes aimed at maintaining GOP support.
Barrasso, when asked about the ACA, stated that discussions covered a variety of topics, but reiterating the GOP’s firm stance that no negotiations will proceed until Democrats agree to reopen the government. However, the internal discussions among Republicans suggest a willingness to explore various options, including the possibility of attaching other health care proposals to the discussion to attract conservative support. Talks have also increased within the House Republican conference and with the White House as a broader strategy unfolds.