Republicans Consider Next Move as Thune Claims “Wheels Came Off” in Shutdown Talks

Senate Republicans Shift Strategy as Democrats Hold Firm in Shutdown Standoff

Senate Republicans are reconsidering their plan to vote on the House-passed government funding bill for a fifteenth time, as Democrats show renewed unity in their demands following Tuesday’s election results.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had scheduled a rare Friday session with the intention of forcing another vote on the continuing resolution (CR). However, after Senate Democrats emerged from a closed-door meeting Thursday with strengthened resolve, Thune acknowledged the challenge ahead.

“We’ve got to get the Democrats back and engaged,” Thune said, noting a significant shift in Democrats’ negotiating position. “All I know is that the pep rally they had at lunch yesterday evidently changed some minds. I thought we were on a track.”

The government shutdown, now in record territory, had shown signs of potential resolution in recent days. Bipartisan talks between Republican and moderate Democratic senators had been gaining momentum, with both sides expressing cautious optimism about finding a path forward.

Those negotiations appear to have stalled, however, as progressive and left-leaning Democrats have pushed their caucus to hold firm on demands for an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies in exchange for reopening the government.

“We were giving them everything they wanted or had asked for, and at some point, they have to take yes for an answer,” Thune said. “They were trending in that direction. And then yesterday, everything kind of — the wheels came off.”

Behind the scenes, Republicans had planned to advance the CR and then add a package of three spending bills in what’s known as a “minibus.” But Senate Democrats’ counteroffers and demands have complicated that strategy.

Some Senate Republicans have expressed reluctance to continue voting on the same legislation without making progress. “There’s no reason to vote on the same stuff that we voted on in the past just to do it again,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.

As an alternative, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., is proposing legislation that would ensure federal workers and military personnel get paid during the shutdown. Johnson plans to amend his previous bill, which was blocked by Democrats last month, to include furloughed federal workers.

“No Republican senator objects to the bill, and we hope the same is true among the Democrat senators,” Johnson said in a statement. “If not, we will call for a roll call vote to reveal which senators are willing to use federal workers as political pawns and jeopardize the safety and security of the American people.”

The scheduling uncertainty comes as the Senate approaches its planned Veterans Day recess next week. Thune indicated that members should remain available for potential weekend votes, suggesting the standoff could extend into Saturday.

The central issue remains Democrats’ insistence on extending Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire. Republicans have offered to hold a vote on legislation for the subsidies after the government reopens, but many Senate Democrats view this as insufficient.

“This thing could be solved in an hour,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital. “What is their resistance to just stopping these premium increases from going into effect? I mean, this is so insane.”

The political dynamics have been further complicated by Tuesday’s election results, which appear to have emboldened Democrats to maintain their position rather than compromise. Republican leaders had hoped the pressure of the ongoing shutdown would eventually force Democrats to accept their terms, but that strategy has yet to yield results.

For federal workers caught in the middle of this political standoff, the uncertainty continues with no clear end in sight. As the shutdown extends further into uncharted territory, the economic and operational impacts across government agencies will only increase, putting additional pressure on both parties to find a resolution.