US Senate Majority Leader John Thune is under increasing pressure amid the ongoing government shutdown as Senate Democrats rejected a short-term spending bill for the 10th time on Thursday.
The measure, which aims to temporarily reopen the government, failed 51-45, falling short of the 60 votes needed to proceed under Senate rules.
Democrats remained steadfast in their stance, refusing to support any funding resolution that did not include progress on health care benefits. Thune said he offered them a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act’s premium subsidies, a top Democratic priority, but acknowledged he couldn’t ensure passage of the proposal.
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He also made it clear that negotiations on the details of any deal related to Obamacare would have to wait until the government reopened.
Thune presented Democrats with an offer aimed at resolving the ongoing government shutdown, but it was not enough to break the impasse.
In an interview with MSNBC, Thune said he proposed getting Democrats to vote on extending premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, one of their top priorities.
However, he made it clear that he could not promise that the measure would pass. Thune also said he would not discuss the specifics of the subsidy deal until the government reopens.
While some bipartisan talks are underway about potential health care compromises, they have not produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government.
Read also | The US government shutdown continues as the Senate rejects a temporary funding bill for the 10th time
“The Democratic Party is a party that will not take yes for an answer,” Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said in an angry speech on the Senate floor, as reported by the AP.
He also offered to vote later on extending subsidies for health plans offered in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, but said he would “not guarantee the outcome or outcome.”
Democrats say they won’t budge until they get a guarantee to extend tax credits for health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance, such as small business owners, farmers and contractors, will see a big increase when premiums go up in the coming weeks. Looking at the Nov. 1 deadline in most states, he thinks voters will demand that Republicans begin serious negotiations.
Who benefits from the US government shutdown?
A new AP-NORC poll finds that a majority of Americans see the government shutdown as a serious problem and are placing the blame across the board, the AP reports.
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About 6 in 10 Americans say Trump and Republicans in Congress bear “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown. Meanwhile, 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress. A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that at least 75% of Americans believe each party bears at least a “moderate” degree of blame, underscoring that no major player has escaped public scrutiny.
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The survey found that 54% of US adults called downtime a “major problem,” with just 11% saying it was “not a problem at all.” Democrats are most likely (69%) to see it as a major issue, but 59% of independents and 37% of Republicans feel the same way.
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At the heart of the government shutdown is a standoff over federal tax credits for individuals who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. Democrats are pushing for an extension of the credits, while Republicans insist they won’t discuss the issue until after the government reopens.
The Democratic Party is the party that won’t take yes for an answer.
54% of US adults call downtime a “serious problem.”
According to an AP-NORC poll, about 4 in 10 US adults support extending the tax cuts, while only about 1 in 10 are strongly opposed. Notably, 42% said they had no opinion, suggesting that a significant portion of the public is not exactly attuned to the central issue fueling the impasse.
(With input from agencies)
