Mike Johnson breaks from John Thune on Obamacare vote to end shutdown

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., broke sharply from his Senate counterpart on Thursday as the upper chamber continues to negotiate a way out of the government shutdown.

Johnson said he would not commit to voting on extending Obamacare subsidies developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are set to expire at the end of this year without congressional action.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., was voting on such an extension in exchange for Democrats voting to end the shutdown, now in its 37th day.

“Leader Thune backed down. He offered them votes. Do you know what they told him in response? ‘No, we need you to guarantee the outcome of this vote.’ “That’s ridiculous,” Johnson said when asked whether such a vote would be possible in Parliament by a guaranteed date if the deal succeeds in breaking the impasse.

MEET THE 3 SENATORS TALKING TO DEMOCRATS TO SUPPORT A BILL TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN

When pressed again for a vote, he said, “No, because we did our job and I’m not part of the negotiation.”

Johnson said, “Parliament did its part on September 19. I’m not promising anything to anyone. I’ll let this process come to an end.”

The issue of increasing Obamacare subsidies has been a point of contention within the GOP; Some Republicans in more moderate districts have called for at least a one-year extension to give lawmakers time to craft a new health care deal instead.

But conservatives in the House of Representatives quickly reject such an extension. Fox News Digital first reported that leaders of the 189-member Republican Study Committee issued a formal statement early Thursday requesting that the loans not be extended.

But a key demand for Democrats was that such an extension be offered along with any federal funding bill before agreeing to help end the shutdown.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) speaks to the media alongside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) as President Donald Trump meets with senior congressional leaders at the White House on September 29, 2025 in Washington. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Senate Democrats meet Thursday afternoon to discuss what they can and cannot accept in a deal to end the government shutdown.

There are a dozen people in the group who have gathered to find a way to survive the shutdown, but following Democrats’ election sweep Tuesday night, most of the group’s members feel encouraged that their shutdown strategy is working and don’t want to give up just yet.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he believes Tuesday’s elections “made an impact” on the panel.

“It would be very strange for the American people to weigh in by supporting Democrats, to stand up and fight for them, and then in a matter of days we surrender without having accomplished anything we fought for,” said Senator Chris Murphy.

AS PRESSURE INCREASED, SENATE DEMOCRATS CAME OUT OF THE RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN.

The government shut down because Congress could not reach an agreement on federal funding. (Getty Images)

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Given that a Democratic proposal to extend expiring subsidies without major reforms to the program would likely fail in the Republican-controlled legislature, the majority of the group wants a guarantee of a deal rather than the promise of a process.

But Thune remained adamant that he could not promise anything other than the vote and could not predict the outcome.

“I made it very clear to them, I can’t guarantee them an outcome,” Thune said. “I can guarantee them a process and they can litigate the issue, they can get a vote in the House, and there’s probably a way to get a vote in the House at some point, but I can’t speak for the House.”