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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri senators Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt voted Sunday evening to advance the federal funding bill. The Senate is expected to hold a final vote soon, moving one step closer to ending what’s become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The vote Sunday marked a major breakthrough for the GOP, with eight Senate Democratic centrists voting with Republican lawmakers to advance the bill, 60-40. According to ABC, the current funding bill does not have any Democratic demands on expiring health care tax credits. However, Republican leaders say they will allow a vote in December on a bill to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, a program that is generally opposed by GOP lawmakers. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer previously proposed a one-year extension of the credits to reopen the government, which Republicans rejected. If left to expire, millions of Americans on Affordable Care Act health insurance plans will lose government funding, with middle- to lower-income consumers expected to be hit the hardest. If approved in a final vote by the Senate, the House is set to review and vote on the bill.House members have been given a 36-hour notice to return to D.C. Sunday evening, Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Onder (Lake St. Louis) replied to an X post from political commentator Lisa Boothe that criticized the Affordable Care Act. "Obamacare is a miserable failure, and unaffordable, even with the COVID subsidies," the post said. Also on Sunday evening, U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell (D-St. Louis) replied to an X post from journalist Jake Sherman criticizing the Senate Democrats' decision. "I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if it doesn’t help working families in St. Louis, count me out," Bell's account posted. U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Ozark) also criticized the Affordable Care Act in an X post Saturday. "While Democrats double down on Obamacare, we’re crafting a real solution one built on competition, choice, and transparency. A free market healthcare reform that lowers costs and restores patient freedom," the post states. On Friday, another one of Missouri's Democratic U.S. representatives, Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, voiced concern about the bill on X. "Americans are seeing their premiums skyrocket because Republicans would rather shut the government down than extend tax credits that help working-class families afford their health care," the post states. The next step for the Senate is voting on how long to debate before voting on the final bill. Meanwhile, SNAP benefits remain in legal limbo, with airports seeing staffing issues as the shutdown continues. Those issues have caused some flight delays at Columbia Regional Airport. One flight that was scheduled to depart in the afternoon on Monday had been pushed back until nearly midnight. This is an ongoing story.
