WASHINGTON (AP) – Tours at the Capitol are stagnant. The house keeps the door closed while the Senate is stuck in the loop Vote failed Regarding the refusal plan to reopen the government. President Donald Trump A massive amount of fire threatens federal workers Refusing to repay For the rest.
As Government closure Week 2 is in and no identifiable endgames are visible.
“You have to negotiate,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is independent from Vermont, insisted late in the evening on Senate floor. “That’s how it works.”
However, at least publicly, negotiations are not underway.
The shutdown is shattered, but signs of quiet talk
Republicans who have a majority control in Congress believe they have a political advantage as they dodge democratic demands to quickly fund them. Health insurance subsidies As part of a plan to end the shutdown.
But Democrats delve into it and are convinced that Americans are on their side in the fight to prevent it The imminent surge in healthcare prices And denounce Trump for the shutdown.
But behind the scenes, signs of discomfort are clear.
The loosely formed collection of senators, Republicans and Democrats is hampered by options for addressing health insurance issues. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine provided her own plan.
Two prominent Republicans, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Georgia and Senator Josh Hawley They say they have to do something to stop the increase in health insurance rates in Missouri.
And Trump himself has shown he is open to negotiating with Democrats on their demands to save healthcare subsidies. Earlier this week, the president said consultations were already underway as he wants people to “big health care” to change his tone a few hours later, to say the government must first reopen.
Trump wants to do healthcare deals
“I spoke to the President yesterday about it.” House Speaker Mike Johnson He said about his Monday conversation with Trump. “Yes, he wants to solve the problem.”
At the heart of that, the discussion has ended Healthcare issues It has entangled Congress for years, notably the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obama Care, that Trump has attempted and failed. I’ll discontinue and replace it During his first term at the White House.
Congress has increased federal grants that will help you buy private insurance through affordable care law exchanges during the Covid-19 pandemic. Federal aid was popular and boosted ACA registration A record 24 million people. These enhanced subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year.
Republicans say Congress can address health insurance issues in the coming months. Democrats are now fighting to resolve the issue as people are receiving notifications of higher policy rates for the New Year.
Senate Majority Leader John TuneRepublicans from South Dakota say there may be a way forward once the government reopens.
“We were always going to have these arguments,” said Johnson of R-LA.
There is high doubt and low trust
But Democrats argue that when Republicans approved Trump’s signature bill this summer, they failed to address expired healthcare grants when they approved the law commonly known as. One big beautiful bill act.
Democrats doubt that Johnson will shut the House out of legislative sessions and send lawmakers home to work in the district, and Republicans will soon work on solving medical issues.
“Ten millions of people are trying to dramatically increase their health insurance costs. How is it accepted in the wealthiest countries in the history of the world?” House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries In New York.
“Because of the actions taken by the GOP, a healthcare crisis is unfolding right in front of the Americans. They are on vacation,” he said.
More votes failed after missing workers’ pay
Federal employees often missed pay during the closure, and their initial pay period comes next week, but Trump is now threatening to remove the guaranteed backpay. It’s a tough start from normal things. The White House Budget Office has argued under Russ Vert that the law is not automatic and that wages should be approved by Congress.
At the same time, Thune’s strategy to strip off more democratic senators and join Republicans and advance the bill passed in the House that funds the government without medical modifications has not worked.
In fact, the parties are even more apart. Sen. Angus King, an independent Maine who has voted with Republicans several times to fund the government, has joined most Democrats who hold for a better deal, saying he might change his vote.
The Senate is expected to try again Wednesday to advance the GOP bill, but it is expected to fail again.
I’m sure each side is on the right side of the fight for the shutdown.
Over the weekend, Senate Democrats were briefed on information suggesting their healthcare messages resonate with voters. A Senate Majority PAC memo spreads to house Democrats and campaigns across the country on Tuesday, keeping clear direction: line.
“It would be a mistake to remove pressure from Republicans,” the memo says.
Meanwhile, Republicans are stuck with their playbooks. A memo from the House GOP campaign division urged candidates to focus on the economic impact of the shutdown, including a district-level breakdown of those affected by government closures.
Each side has framed the shutdown battle as the precursor to the 2026 midterm elections.
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Associated Press authors Kevin Freaking and Stephen Groves contributed to the report.
