Copyright Newsweek
Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly rejected a Democratic offer to reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies for a year, calling it a "nonstarter." Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer made the offer to reopen the government on Friday as Republicans have refused to negotiate on demands to extend health care subsidies. It was a much narrowed version of a broad proposal the Democrats had laid out a month ago to make the health tax credits permanent and reverse Medicaid cuts that Republicans enacted earlier this year. Why It Matters Lawmakers in both parties are feeling increased urgency to reopen the government. The ongoing shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, has disrupted millions of lives, with government workers remaining unpaid and food aid payments delayed for millions. Democrats have demanded an extension of expiring health care subsidies as part of a bill to fund the government, but Republicans has said they would not negotiate on health care until the government is reopened. President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to end the shutdown quickly and scrap the legislative filibuster, which requires 60 Senate votes for most legislation, so they can bypass Democrats altogether. Republicans have rejected Trump's call and Thune has been eyeing a bipartisan package that mirrors the proposal the moderate Democrats have been sketching out. Still, it remains unclear what Thune would promise on health care. What To Know In a floor speech on Friday, Schumer proposed a "clean" one-year extension to the subsidies expiring at the end of the year. Schumer also called for the creation of a bipartisan committee to address Republican demands for changes to the Affordable Care Act. He said it was "a simple proposal that would reopen the government and extend the ACA premium tax credits simultaneously. And then we have the opportunity to start negotiating longer-term solutions to health care costs." He added: "We need Republicans to just say 'yes'." But Thune quickly rejected the offer, reiterating that they would not trade offers on health care until the government is reopened. "I think everybody who follows this knows that's a nonstarter,” he said, according to ABC News. “There is no way. The Obamacare extension is the negotiation. That's what we're going to negotiate, once the government opens up." What People Are Saying Schumer said in a video posted on X: “Today, Democrats made an offer to the Republicans that they should not refuse. It said we can do both. We can extend the ACA tax credits for a year so that families will not lose their health insurance or have to pay a whole lot more for their health insurance, and reopen the government so that government workers can get paid and go back to work. We do both together. It makes eminent sense and we are calling the Republicans’ bluff.” Thune also said that Democrats' offer is a sign "they're feeling the heat, and they know that their last proposal was unserious and unrealistic." He added: "I guess you can characterize that as progress, but I just don't think that it gets anywhere close to what we need to do here, and they know it." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday: "The United States Senate should not leave town until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown. If they can't reach a Deal, the Republicans should terminate the Filibuster, IMMEDIATELY, and take care of our Great American Workers!" What's Next Thune was keeping the Senate in session over the weekend as a group of moderate Democrats worked on a possible compromise proposal. This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
