For now, Democrats are dug in on their demands for extending health care subsidies before they will agree to a funding deal. Five additional Democratic votes would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold in the 100-member Senate to green-light the House-passed bill. As each side seeks to point the finger at the other over the shutdown, polling indicates that Democrats and Republicans may currently be sharing the blame. A new poll from the Washington Post found that 47 per cent of Americans blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the shutdown, while just 30 per cent point the finger at Democrats. But a New York Times/Siena survey showed two-thirds of respondents said Democrats should not shut down the government if Republicans do not agree to their demands. Adding to pressure on Democrats to relent and provide votes to reopen the government, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC Thursday that the shutdown could hurt US economic growth.”This isn’t the way to have a discussion, shutting down the government and lowering the GDP,” he said.