Weekend session begins slowly in the Senate as lawmakers seek a way out of the shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first weekend session of the Senate since the start of the shutdown yielded few signs of progress Saturday, as Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s wish for a quick vote never materialized.

Saturday’s session got off to a rocky start when President Donald Trump made clear he is unlikely to reach a deal anytime soon with Democrats seeking a one-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. He said on social media that it is “the worst health care in the world” and suggested that Congress send money directly to people to buy insurance.

Thune said Trump’s proposal would not be part of a solution to ending the shutdown, but added that “it’s a discussion that the president and all of us want to have.” Republican senators who spoke on the Senate floor Saturday generally echoed Trump’s assessment.

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“I guarantee you that every day we keep this system running is a great day for the health insurance companies who have been literally kissing each other like bandits every day under Obamacare,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he welcomed Republicans into the fight when it comes to insurance companies, “but that shouldn’t come at the cost of kicking millions of people off their health care in January.”

Senate Republican leaders have signaled openness to an emerging proposal from a small group of moderate Democrats to end the shutdown in exchange for a later vote on “Obamacare” subsidies, which make coverage more affordable. For those enrolled in the Affordable Care Act exchanges, premiums on average are expected to double next year if Congress allows the enhanced subsidies to expire.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who is leading talks among moderates, said Friday night that Democrats “need another path forward” after Republicans rejected an offer from Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York to reopen the government and extend subsidies for a year. “We’re working on it,” he said.

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Moderates continue negotiating

Shaheen and others, negotiating among themselves and with some rank-and-file Republicans, have been discussing bills that would fund parts of the government (food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things) and extend funding for everything else until December or January. The deal would only come with the promise of a future vote on health care, rather than a guarantee of expanded subsidies.

It was unclear whether enough Democrats would support such a plan. Even with a deal, Trump seems unlikely to support an extension of health benefits. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, also said this week that he would not commit to a vote on health care.

Republican leaders only need five additional votes to fund the government, and the group involved in the talks has ranged from 10 to 12 Democratic senators.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they want new limits on who can receive the subsidies. They lined up Saturday to go to the Senate floor and argue that subsidies for the plans should be channeled through individuals.

“We’re going to replace this broken system with something that’s actually better for the consumer,” Graham said.

Republicans discuss new package of bills

Trump wants Republicans to quickly end the shutdown and eliminate the filibuster, which requires 60 Senate votes for most legislation, so they can bypass Democrats entirely. Vice President JD Vance, a former senator from Ohio, backed the idea in an online post Saturday, saying Republicans who want to keep the filibuster are “wrong.”

Republicans have rejected Trump’s call, and Thune is considering a bipartisan package that mirrors the proposal moderate Democrats have been outlining. It is unknown what Thune, which has refused to negotiate, could promise on health care.

The package would replace House-passed legislation that Democrats have rejected 14 times since the shutdown began Oct. 1. The current bill would only extend government funding through Nov. 21.

An election for the Democrats

A test vote on the new legislation could be held in the coming days if Thune decides to move forward.

Democrats would then have a crucial choice: continue fighting for a meaningful deal on extending subsidies that expire in January while prolonging the pain of the shutdown? Or vote to reopen the government and hope for the best as Republicans promise an eventual vote on healthcare, but no guaranteed outcome.

Schumer pressed on Saturday to argue that Republicans should agree to a one-year extension of the subsidies before negotiating the future of the tax credits.

“Doing nothing is negligence because people will go bankrupt, lose insurance and get sicker,” Schumer said in a speech. “That’s what will happen if this Congress doesn’t act.”

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News writers Seung Min Kim, Joey Cappelletti and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.