Senate Majority Leader John Thune met with a group of GOP senators Wednesday to discuss possible ways forward on healthcare once the government reopens, according to Politico.
This private meeting occurred as the shutdown entered its 22nd day, and the Senate failed again to advance a measure to restore funding, which added to the political deadlock in Washington.
The discussion mainly focused on the soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act subsidies. These subsidies have become central to the Democrats’ demands in the shutdown.
Three people who spoke on condition of anonymity said the conversation revolved around how Republicans might address those subsidies once the government resumes operations.
Thune was joined in his Capitol office by Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso of Wyoming and Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Rick Scott of Florida.
Barrasso confirmed that the meeting took place but did not provide details, stating only that they talked about “a lot of different things” and were “continuing to meet and talk about the path forward.”
According to Politico, Republicans maintain a united front in public, insisting that no negotiations will begin until Democrats agree to reopen the government. Barrasso reiterated that view, stressing that the GOP’s first priority is to “get the government running again” before addressing broader policy issues.
However, in private, some reports suggest, Republican senators are quietly discussing how to position their party once the funding deadlock ends, especially regarding the ACA subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
The lawmakers at the meeting with Thune represent a mix of opinions within the GOP, from those who want the subsidies to end completely to those willing to extend them under stricter conditions.
Senator Scott has called for allowing the subsidies to end, while Thune and others are open to a short-term extension if it includes income limits, stronger oversight measures, and anti-fraud protections.
Politico reported that such conditions are being considered to make any continuation of the subsidies more palatable to conservatives who have long opposed the Affordable Care Act.
Republican aides told Politico that the group also explored potential additions to a healthcare package following the shutdown to gain support within the caucus. Ideas included expanding health savings accounts and limiting executive branch discretion in managing ACA subsidies.
These talks continue alongside separate discussions in the House Republican conference and with the White House about broader policy goals once the government reopens.
Even as those negotiations take place, the Senate on Wednesday failed for the 12th time to advance the GOP’s latest continuing resolution, falling short in a 54-46 vote that needed 60 to overcome a filibuster, according to CBS News.
Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine voted to advance the bill, but the rest of the Democrats held firm, leading to the measure’s defeat.
The ongoing deadlock led Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon to conduct a 22-hour, 37-minute filibuster, criticizing what he called “President Donald Trump’s manufactured crisis,” according to CBS News and Politico.
His lengthy floor speech, which lasted overnight, received praise from progressives and highlighted Democratic determination against reopening the government without policy concessions.
The effects of the shutdown are growing across the federal workforce, with around 750,000 employees now on furlough and nearly two million more working without pay, according to Time. Agencies are canceling routine operations, closing parks and research labs, and postponing essential public services.
A new point of contention is whether furloughed workers will eventually receive back pay. Federal News Network reported that the White House hinted it might delay or limit those payments unless Congress specifically provides the funds, referencing language in the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 that ties compensation to “the enactment of appropriations Acts ending the lapse.”
President Trump has also pledged to use the shutdown to cut what he describes as “Democrat programs.” Politico quoted him telling aides, “We’re only cutting Democrat programs … we will be cutting some very popular Democrat programs that aren’t popular with Republicans,” signaling a strategy to use the funding crisis to reshape the federal budget along party lines.
The White House Office of Management and Budget has begun issuing notices related to potential layoffs. Meanwhile, federal employee unions have filed lawsuits claiming the administration violated labor law with unauthorized reduction-in-force directives, according to Politico.
As the standoff stretches into another week, aides from both parties told Politico they expect the shutdown to continue well into next week, if not longer. For now, the Senate stays gridlocked, the White House shows no signs of backing down, and the Capitol’s closed-door strategy meetings continue amid unpaid workers, rising political pressure, and ongoing tension.
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