Republicans on Friday rejected a Democratic bid to end the longest government shutdown in US history, which included a vote to reopen the government in exchange for a one-year extension of expiring health insurance subsidies for people covered by the Affordable Care Act.
“After so many failed votes, it’s clear we have to try something else,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) said in a speech on the Senate floor Friday. “Republicans just need to say yes to extend the current law for one year.”
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But Republicans quickly shot it down, demanding that Senate Democrats first agree to reform the program, including an income cap and phaseout.
“It’s a terrible idea,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) said of Schumer’s proposal. “We might as well go home and start over. It’s disappointing that they think this is going to open up the government.”
The Democrats’ proposal is not much different from their main demand of the past six weeks — a vote to fund the government in exchange for an extension of the Affordable Care Act’s health care subsidies — but it is much narrower than Democrats have previously demanded.
democrats’ official alternative the Republican major government funding bill included a permanent the expiration of health care tax credits, as well as the repeal of Medicaid cuts passed by Republicans earlier this summer, as well as President Donald Trump’s new spending cuts during so-called recesses.
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But unlike House Democratic leadership, which last month rejected a one-year extension of ACA subsidies, Senate Democrats kept their demands narrower and more open-ended, only demanding that Republicans come to the table and negotiate with them on health care.
Schumer said Friday that his proposal would respect the GOP’s position not to negotiate with Democrats on health care until the government reopens because that would simply involve “extending the current law.” He said the proposal also includes a new bipartisan committee to negotiate a future health care compromise.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks to reporters during the 36th day of the government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., 2025. on Nov. 5, the 36th day of the government shutdown. AP photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Republicans almost immediately rejected Schumer’s proposal, reiterating that any talks about extending health care subsidies could only begin after Democrats vote to reopen the government.
“Democrats are openly negotiating with themselves,” a Senate GOP leadership aide told HuffPost: “It’s a complete sign of desperation on the part of ‘Chief Schumer’ because whole members of his caucus are ready to jump ship.
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Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (RS.D.) told reporters that the Democratic proposal was “a sign that they’re feeling the heat.”
“I guess you could call it progress, but I just don’t think it comes close to what we need to do,” he added.
The new Democratic proposal to end the shutdown comes as the fallout from the funding impasse worsens, with millions of households without food benefits, hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay and hundreds of flights canceled or delayed.
While Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are at risk for more than 20 million households, Democrats have continued to focus on ending the health care subsidies that help more than 20 million Americans purchase health insurance in the ACA exchanges.
“If this United States Senate does not act, the people we represent will lose health care,” Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said on the Senate floor.
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