Senate Majority Leader John Thune has confirmed that voting on the government shutdown during the weekend is ‘unlikely,’ which may force the closure to extend into the next week. His comments on Thursday highlighted that the fourth opportunity for a vote to reopen the government will occur tomorrow, with the potential for a weekend delay before the next vote on Monday. This development signals that the current stalemate between congressional leaders and the White House is not likely to be resolved ahead of the weekend, with Thune expressing skepticism about the potential for an agreement through upcoming negotiations. Thune has left the door open for a meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this week, but he remains uncertain that such discussions will yield a breakthrough. The situation remains tense, with the government shutdown affecting various federal agencies and services.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has been a vocal advocate for bipartisan cooperation to address the shutdown and bring relief by lowering healthcare costs. In a statement issued on Thursday, Schumer urged Republicans to work with Democrats to reach a consensus that would reopen the government and implement measures to reduce healthcare expenses. He has also suggested that GOP unity might be tested as the shutdown continues, with some Democrats predicting that prolonged gridlock could lead to internal tensions within the Republican Party. Thune, however, has made it clear that the focus of discussions must remain on reopening the government, and he has reiterated that negotiations on the substance of a deal to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies will not occur while the government is closed.
Amidst the ongoing stalemate, some Democratic lawmakers have proposed potential concessions that could be included in a deal, short of attaching an extension of the ACA subsidies to a stopgap funding bill. These include the possibility of passing full-year appropriations bills or moving from the seven-week stopgap bill passed by the House to a shorter term. Some have also argued for aligning the expiration date with the HealthCare.gov open enrollment period on November 1. Thune has rejected these ideas, stating that Democrats are ‘quibbling over pretty small stuff’ and that the Nov. 21 deadline embedded in the House stopgap bill is the only viable option. He emphasized that there is no way to proceed with a straight-up extension of the ACA subsidies, leaving the situation in limbo as the shutdown drags on.