WASHINGTON (AP) — Signs of a possible end to the war government shutdown Behind-the-scenes talks intensified Tuesday as the federal shutdown got underway. longest in history It is disrupting the lives of millions of Americans.
Senators from both parties, Republican and Democratic, have been quietly negotiating the bones of a new agreement. With leadership buy-in, senators are looking for ways to restart the government, get the normal federal funding process back on track and devise some solution to the crisis. Expired health insurance subsidies Premium costs are skyrocketing around the world.
I said, “That’s enough.” Senate Majority Leader John ThuneSouth Dakota Republicans opened the deadlocked chamber.
The record for the longest federal government shutdown will be broken just after midnight, the 35th day of the federal government shutdown. and Suspension of SNAP benefits For millions of Americans who rely on federal food assistance, hundreds of thousands of Federal employees furloughed or working without pay The contract has also been delayed, and many inside and outside Capitol Hill say it’s time to end it. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that could happen. empty chaos Next week, if the shutdown drags on and air traffic controllers don’t get new paychecks. Labor unions put pressure on lawmakers to reopen the government.
Election Day appears to be a turning point.
Tuesday’s election Provide an inflection point with an off-year gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey; Many are hoping that moment of political reckoning, along with the New York mayoral race that will show voters’ attitudes, will turn the tide. Another test vote in the Senate on Tuesday failed as Democrats rejected the government’s interim funding bill.
“We’re not looking for anything radical.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer Said. “Lowering people’s health care costs is the definition of common sense.”
Unlike previous shutdowns, President Donald Trump’s The president has largely absented himself from the shutdown debate during his first term in 2018 and 2019, when he fought with Congress for funding for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
President Trump threatens to end SNAP food aid
But on Tuesday, President Trump issued a new threat, warning that he would end SNAP food assistance unless Democrats agree to reopen the government.
SNAP benefits “will only be given if the Radical Left Democrats open the government, which they can easily do, and not before!” President Trump said on social media. it looked like it was rebelling court order Release emergency funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
His top spokeswoman, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, later said the administration was continuing to disburse SNAP funds in accordance with the court order.
Most attention has been focused on the Senate, as House Speaker Mike Johnson sent members home in September. There, the leadership has outsourced negotiations to a loose group of centrists, and negotiators from both parties are secretly plotting ways to end the conflict.
“I pray that today is that day,” Johnson, R-Louisiana, said as he went through daily proceedings on an empty side of the Capitol.
Potential deal contours
At the heart of any end game is a set of agreements that must be supported not only by the Senate but also by the House and the White House, which is far from certain in Washington, where Republicans have full control of the government.
First, senators from both parties, especially powerful members of the Appropriations Committee, are working to ensure that the government’s regular funding process gets back on track.
Several Democrats are among those working behind the scenes, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-Maine), Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.
“The pace of talks is picking up,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), who has been participating in the talks.
Among the goals is ensuring future votes on smaller bills that already have broad bipartisan agreement to fund various aspects of government, such as agricultural programs and military construction projects on bases.
“I certainly think those three bills are poised to do a lot of good for the American people,” said Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who is also participating in the talks.
Even more difficult is that a significant number of senators want some kind of resolution to the conflict over Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of the year.
White House won’t commit to health care until government reopens
The White House has said its position remains unchanged, saying Democrats need to vote on funding the government until health care talks begin. White House officials have been in close contact with Republican senators who have been meeting secretly with leading Senate Democrats, a senior White House official said. The official was granted anonymity to discuss administration strategy.
As premium notices go out, millions of Americans are experiencing sticker shock from rising prices. The loss of federal subsidies provided in the form of tax credits is expected to leave many people without health insurance.
Republicans, who hold majorities in the House and Senate, have been reluctant to fund the health care plan, also known as Obamacare. But Thune promised Democrats he would vote on their preferred proposals on a specific date as part of a deal to reopen the government.
That’s not enough for some senators, who see the health care impasse as part of President Trump’s broader concerns about the direction of the country.
“Trump is a schoolyard bully,” Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders said in an op-ed. “Those who think that surrendering to him now will lead to better results and cooperation in the future do not understand how power-hungry demagogues behave.”
Democrats and some Republicans also want to put in place guardrails to prevent the Trump administration from unilaterally legislatively cutting funding to programs already approved by Congress, as billionaire Elon Musk did at the Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year.
The Senate, split 53-47, has tried and failed more than a dozen times to advance House-passed legislation past the filibuster, and the measure is outdated. That would provide funding to the government until November 21st.
President Trump has asked senators to override the filibuster, a Senate rule that requires a 60-vote threshold to pass most legislation, preserving minority rights in the chamber. Republican senators denounced the request.
Both Mr Thune and Mr Johnson acknowledged the need for new interim measures. They aim to avoid the typical year-end hectic period past the Christmas holiday season and instead craft a deal that will keep the government running until nearer the year, possibly into January.
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Associated Press writers Kevin Freaking, Seungmin Kim and Matt Brown contributed to this article.
