Senate Democrats to consider Republican offer as record US shutdown drags on
By David Morgan and Bo Erickson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senate Democrats took center stage in the U.S. government shutdown drama on Thursday, meeting behind closed doors on what the chamber’s top Republican said was a proposal to reopen shuttered federal agencies as early as this weekend.
On the 37th day of the longest shutdown in U.S. history, lawmakers said they hoped informal talks between Democrats and Republicans would lead to a short-term deal to reopen the government, which would also give Congress time to enact full-year appropriations bills and potentially address expiring tax credits to help low-income Americans pay for private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
A short-term bill to fund federal agencies through Nov. 21 has failed 14 times in the Senate; Democrats first demanded that Republicans agree to negotiate on extending federal health subsidies, while Republicans said the government should reopen first.
Meanwhile, thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or forced to work without pay, while food aid subsidies for 42 million Americans, Head Start subsidies for children and benefits for the top 40 Americans have dried up. Airports are preparing for a 10% cut in flights.
“We need to get the Dems’ response to the proposal before them,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who told reporters he hoped some progress could be made in the coming days. He declined to disclose details of the proposal, saying only that it involved “back and forth conversations” between Republicans and Democrats.
“They have a big convention today,” Thune, from South Dakota, said of Democrats. “I hope they come out of there with 10 or more people willing to vote to open the government.”
DEMOCRATS ARE MEETING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Senate Democrats met for hours behind closed doors on Thursday, but it became clear they did not have a common view on how to reopen the government and extend Affordable Care Act subsidies.
“We need to make sure we reach an agreement that has broad support,” said Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who participated in the bipartisan talks. “There are a lot of things that are left out as part of the agreement. Nothing is completely clear.”
Republicans have a 53-47 majority but need 60 votes to reopen the government. With one Republican opposing short-term funding, Thune would need at least eight Democrats to break away from his party. So far, only two Democrats and one independent caucusing with them have been willing to do so.
Republicans said they hope more moderate Democrats will want to end the shutdown enough to break things off with their colleagues.
THE HOUSE MOVES UNDERSTANDING
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has also posed a potential hurdle. Democrats have expressed concern that any Senate legislation that would expand ACA tax credits may not receive a floor vote in the House. On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed those concerns, saying he would not commit to such a vote.
“I’m not part of the negotiation,” Johnson told reporters. “I don’t promise anything to anyone”
When asked about this comment, Peters replied: “This is a significant issue.”
If Senate Democrats and Republicans had managed to reach an agreement to reopen the government this week, institutions would likely remain closed for days. Such a measure would need approval from the House of Representatives before President Donald Trump could sign it into law.
House Republican leaders, who kept the chamber out of session before the shutdown began, promised to give members 48 hours’ notice before summoning them to Washington and 72 hours to review legislation before a new chamber vote could be held.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson and David Morgan, Editing by Scott Malone and Diane Craft)
