Republicans have made a new funding deal proposal with Senate Democrats to end the 37-day government shutdown, according to four anonymous sources. The proposal includes a potential rehiring of laid-off federal workers as a sweetener, which is set to be discussed during a critical Senate lunch meeting.
The offer comes as Democrats have been pressing for weeks to have a reversal of Trump’s firings included in a shutdown-ending deal. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) has been vocal about the need to recall those who were RIF’d during the shutdown, referring to the reductions in force undertaken by President Donald Trump. The package of appropriations legislation would include the Agriculture-FDA, Military Construction-VA, and Legislative Branch funding bills, according to three sources.
Getting a deal on the full-year bills would not be enough to reopen the government. However, it would be a key step forward because lawmakers are expected to attach the stopgap spending bill that would reopen the, government to the full-year package. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that Republicans had made Dems an offer but did not detail what it included.
The offer from Republicans does not address the date of the stopgap bill, which is subject to internal debate among Republicans, or Democrats’ main point of contention — the soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who has been a key negotiator, told reporters on Thursday morning that