37-day government shutdown sees bipartisan efforts for breakthrough deal

“Now this isn’t the end. It’s not even the beginning of the end. But maybe it’s the end of the beginning.” –Winston Churchill

This is not a deal. Just a plan.

But the political ice that froze MPs and shut down the government for 37 days is beginning to thaw.

Very little.

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“There seems to be some sign of thaw,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Let’s face it:

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers are skittish about shutting down. They are suffering in terms of aviation. Concerns are growing among bipartisan lawmakers about federal workers not getting paid and withholding emergency food benefits, known as SNAP. Everyone wants a deal. But no one knows where to find it.

Any agreement will be about math. However, the MPs are locked in this locking box and cannot find the password to escape.

That’s why it’s important that there are at least some attempts to open up the government by turning the wheels of Congress. However, this may take some time.

So it’s remarkable that, for the first time since October 1, lawmakers are even trying to get the wheels of government moving again.

“I’m optimistic that we need to do something this week,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. “I think there is a path forward here.”

On Tuesday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., believed the Senate would vote soon.

“I think it could probably happen on Thursday. It could be delayed until Friday. But it could probably be delayed until Thursday,” Mullin said.

But the Oklahoma Republican issued this warning.

“I’m just making assumptions,” Mullin cautioned.

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This is the government shutdown in 2025. And nobody knows anything.

Mullin returned to FOX Business on Wednesday and recalibrated what he said the day before.

“There’s a very powerful group that’s working in a bipartisan way that says they’re going to reopen as soon as these elections are over. And then today they came back with some of the most ridiculous demands to take away President Trump’s powers, asking us to guarantee as the Senate what the House can and can’t do. And that’s simply not possible,” Mullin said.

Republicans have long known that the stopgap spending bill passed by the House (beginning Sept. 19) is no longer working. Even if the Senate moves in lockstep with the House of Representatives, this legislation only funds the government through November 21. This will result in Congress being shut down and going back to where it started on October 1st.

“There is a very strong bipartisan group,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., “but they have come back with some of the most ridiculous demands to take power away from President Trump.” (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

So Republicans began considering a longer stopgap spending bill that would last through the end of January.

“We lost five weeks. So the Nov. 21 deadline doesn’t mean much anymore,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., referring to the deadline for the original spending bill that still hasn’t been passed by the Senate.

But Republicans need Democratic support to pass any bill to end the record-breaking shutdown.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) was cautious when asked what Democrats might support after a long lunch meeting with Democratic senators on Tuesday.

“We had a very good meeting and are exploring all options,” was Schumer’s calm response.

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But despite the debate, no one is quite sure what could win the Democratic vote. Especially because Republicans aren’t giving up.

Sen. D-Ariz. “Apparently they’re doing pretty well deceiving people about their health care,” Mark Kelly said.

Schumer and a group of Senate Democrats angered House liberals by helping the GOP avoid filibuster in March on a bill that would fund the government. So it’s natural that House Democrats are wary of being burned again.

“How skeptical can House Democrats be about any deal that might come from the Senate?” yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

“We have said from the beginning that we will consider in good faith any bipartisan agreement that emerges from the Senate,” Jeffries said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) claims his caucus has said all along that they would “consider in good faith any bipartisan agreement that emerges from the Senate.” (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

This is why the government will remain closed for some time, despite well-intentioned efforts to resolve the crisis.

“I don’t think any of us expected it to take this long,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

But Senate Republicans on Thursday advanced a new plan they hope could end the government shutdown.

Or at least liquefy the ice a little more.

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Republicans are challenging Democrats to block a test vote on a new form of gambling that would fund the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction projects, the Department of Agriculture and Congress. This represents three of the 12 areas of federal spending that Congress must approve each year. This plan will finance these three sectors until September 30, 2026. Lawmakers will add another Band-Aid spending bill for the rest of the government by the end of January. However, it was unclear whether Democrats would attend.

“I’m less optimistic this morning than I was yesterday,” Johnson said. “My understanding is that Chuck Schumer talked them out of it and they were instructed and told they couldn’t go there.”

And progressives are counting on Schumer again.

Especially after the decision in March to help finance the government.

“We’ve got to keep doing this and get a win because we can’t let what happened in the spring happen again,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told her colleague Aishah Hasnie.

Progressives are once again counting on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DY. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Democrats are buoyed after Tuesday’s election results.

“There is no longer any reason to surrender. There is every reason to stand firm,” Blumenthal said. “Tuesday’s message confirms what we have heard over and over again.”

The plan could include an agreement to hold a vote on health subsidies at a specific date in the future. This is the main desire of the Democrats. But Democrats want more: a guarantee that Congress will offset rising ObamaCare costs.

With the House of Representatives not voting since September 19, Democrats are turning to political guerrilla tactics to make their case for the shutdown.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., attended a press conference held by House Republican leadership on Wednesday and heckled Johnson. U.S. Capitol Police attempted to remove Houlahan until they realized he was a member of Congress.

Johnson called Houlahan’s intervention “beneath.”

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Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., promised to set up a table outside the speaker’s office Thursday afternoon to answer questions and discuss health care and the Epstein files. Ansari said Capitol Police told him “he could be arrested if the table wasn’t moved.”

Ansari sold out health care subsidies while the nation’s air traffic controllers continued to work without a paycheck.

“They are heroes. They keep us safe every day,” said Ansari, one of the controllers.

But he added a warning:

“Is it more important than 24 million Americans losing their health insurance or being unable to pay their rent?” Ansari asked. “NO.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., noted that air travel threatened by the shutdown is “nothing to scoff at.” (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Aviation concerns are shaking the country. But only one Republican says out loud what everyone else is thinking.

“All it takes is a minor accident. What if people die?” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “So air travel is nothing to mess around with.”

Even if the Senate votes this week, few expect immediate progress.

“My hopes and expectations are that there will always be enough Democrats to move forward. But I don’t know. We’ll see,” Thune said. “Dems have a hard time accepting yes.”

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., proposed his own time frame.

YOU. JOHN KENNEDY PREDICTIONS HOW LONG LOCKDOWNS WILL LAST, SAYS DEMOCRATS ARE STILL ‘Timing Their Little Feet’

“At best we are at least seven days away from opening, probably ten and very likely two weeks away,” Kennedy said.

Democrats are divided on what they want to do. Still, many want to go off-ramp. And progressives are ready to be outraged if moderate Democrats burn them again.

So we’re far from the end of the government shutdown saga. But we are no longer at the beginning. Perhaps this can be a consolation to those following the shutdown.

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After all, everything that starts usually ends.

Finally.