Lawmakers are racing against time to end the government shutdown, which is entering its third week. With federal workers facing pay delays, and tensions rising, the Senate is set to go on a weekend break before returning on Tuesday for an eighth vote on the Republican-led funding bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer retains the option to push for another vote, but there is a shift in strategy within Republicans to cut off further votes and force Democrats to make a binary choice on the GOP’s bill. The House, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, remains determined to keep its doors closed as long as necessary to pressure Senate Democrats, with Johnson expressing his frustration over the situation. Other Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefan, and Rep. John Rutherford, are suggesting alternatives, such as eliminating the filibuster, but leaders like John Thune are cautious about employing the so-called nuclear option. Meanwhile, a deal has been reached on the annual defense authorization bill, which is now set for a vote and paves the way for negotiations on a compromise defense bill by Thanksgiving.
The Senate officially headed home for the long weekend and will return Tuesday to vote for an eighth time on the GOP-led CR. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer can still force one more vote on the Democratic stopgap. However, Republicans are not expected to let him file cloture again on his party’s bill, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) told POLITICO. The shift in strategy to cut off more votes on the dueling funding measure is a bid to force Democrats to make a binary choice on the GOP-led bill. One off-ramp idea from Senate Republicans is to vote on Obamacare subsidies as soon as the government reopens—something New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the lead Democratic negotiator, called “promising.” Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), the White House’s unofficial Democrat whisperer, pitched a new stopgap funding plan Thursday that would push the deadline to Dec. 18 or 19, rather than Nov. 21. Those were nonstarters for Democratic leaders. Whip Dick Durbin said he is “looking for more” than a promise to vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Schumer echoed that sentiment, and also told POLITICO that Mullin’s plan “doesn’t make the grade.” Schumer said neither proposal guarantees a vote in the House.
Any tweaks to the CR would also require the House to pass a new stopgap—and Speaker Mike Johnson is dead set on keeping the House out of session as long as it takes to pressure Senate Democrats. “Emotions are high. People are upset—I’m upset,” the speaker said Thursday. “Is it better for them, probably, to be physically separated right now? Yeah, it probably is, frankly.” Johnson’s sticking to his strategy amid growing pushback from his own members. That includes Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a member of Johnson’s leadership team, who said the House should come back to pass standalone funding to pay the troops. Active-duty service members are on track to miss their first paychecks of the shutdown Wednesday, though the White House is trying to figure out how to shift funds around to pay them.
Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) told POLITICO he wants the Senate to get rid of the filibuster to reopen the government. A few other Republicans like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio have also flirted with that idea. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Thursday ruled out deploying the so-called nuclear option, and a number of other GOP senators worry it would come back to bite them once they’re in the minority. Meanwhile, on the agenda, Johnson will hold a press conference with other House GOP leaders and House Administration Chair Bryan Steil at 10 a.m. before co-hosting a press call with the House Freedom Caucus at 11 a.m. House Democrats will have a virtual caucus at noon. Next steps for the defense bill: Senators struck a deal to break their monthlong impasse on the annual defense authorization bill Thursday, agreeing to vote on a package of 17 amendments and ultimately passing the full $925 billion measure in a 77-20 vote. That puts leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees on track to begin negotiations on a compromise defense bill by their goal of Thanksgiving.