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Senate Deadlock Continues as Government Shutdown Reaches 39th Day
The Senate convened for a rare weekend session Saturday as the government shutdown stretched into its 39th day, with few signs of a breakthrough despite mounting pressure to resolve the impasse that has paralyzed federal operations nationwide.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s hope for a quick vote failed to materialize during the session, leaving millions of Americans feeling the escalating consequences. Federal workers continue to go without paychecks, airlines have been forced to cancel flights due to staffing shortages at air traffic control facilities, and food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) faces delays for vulnerable households across the country.
Saturday’s proceedings hit an early roadblock when President Donald Trump took to social media to criticize the Affordable Care Act, calling it “the worst Healthcare anywhere in the world.” The president suggested Congress should bypass extending ACA tax credits—a key Democratic demand—and instead send money directly to consumers to purchase insurance independently.
Thune quickly distanced the Republican negotiating position from Trump’s proposal, acknowledging that while healthcare reform is “a discussion that the president and all of us want to have,” it would not be part of the immediate solution to end the shutdown.
Republican senators speaking on the floor largely echoed Trump’s sentiments about the ACA. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina claimed insurance companies have been “making out literally like bandits every day under Obamacare,” while Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon countered that any healthcare reforms “shouldn’t come at the cost of kicking millions off of their health care in January.”
At the center of the stalemate is Democratic insistence on extending enhanced ACA subsidies set to expire in January, which currently make coverage more affordable for millions of Americans. Without congressional action, premiums on ACA exchange plans are projected to more than double next year, potentially forcing many to abandon their health insurance altogether.
Senate Republican leadership has shown openness to an emerging compromise from moderate Democrats led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire. After Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s offer to reopen government with a one-year extension of ACA subsidies was rejected by Republicans, Shaheen acknowledged Democrats “need another path forward” and confirmed ongoing negotiations.
The moderate proposal being discussed would fund specific government agencies—including those administering food aid, veterans programs, and legislative operations—while extending funding for remaining departments until December or January. Instead of guaranteeing extended healthcare subsidies, the deal would only promise a future vote on the matter.
However, significant obstacles remain. It’s unclear whether enough Democrats would support such a compromise, and both President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have signaled resistance to any extension of the healthcare benefits. Republicans need just five Democratic votes to pass government funding legislation in the Senate.
Some Republican senators have expressed willingness to consider extending the COVID-era tax credits but want to impose new eligibility restrictions. Several took to the Senate floor Saturday arguing that any subsidies should go directly to individuals rather than through the existing ACA framework.
Meanwhile, Trump has urged Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster rule requiring 60 votes for most legislation—a position endorsed Saturday by Vice President JD Vance, who called Republicans who want to preserve the filibuster “wrong.” Senate Republicans have firmly rejected this approach.
Majority Leader Thune appears to be considering a bipartisan package similar to the moderate Democratic proposal, though details remain unclear, particularly regarding what commitments on healthcare might be included. Such legislation would replace House-passed funding bills that Democrats have rejected fourteen times since the shutdown began October 1.
A test vote on new legislation could come within days, forcing Democrats to make a difficult choice: continue fighting for guaranteed subsidy extensions while prolonging shutdown hardships, or accept government reopening with only a promised future vote on healthcare funding.
Schumer remained resolute Saturday, warning that without action on subsidies, “people will go bankrupt, people will lose insurance, people will get sicker.”
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16 Comments
The president’s latest comments about the ACA don’t seem very constructive. I wish the political leaders would focus less on partisan attacks and more on pragmatic problem-solving to resolve this impasse.
Agreed, the ACA jab just seems like more political grandstanding. They need to put the political games aside and work together to get the government functioning again.
I’m curious to see if the Senate can make any progress during this weekend session. The pressure is mounting, so hopefully they’ll be able to find a path forward and end this stalemate.
Yes, the pressure is certainly building. With the wide-ranging impacts, they really need to prioritize finding a solution over political posturing.
It’s concerning to hear about the impacts on air travel and food assistance programs. The shutdown is clearly having wide-ranging consequences that go beyond just federal workers. A swift resolution is crucial.
You’re right, the ripple effects are really starting to hit the public. Hopefully the lawmakers can put politics aside and focus on the real-world impacts.
Bringing the ACA into this debate seems like a distraction. The core issue is the budget impasse and getting the government fully operational again. I hope they can set aside partisan grandstanding and find a pragmatic solution.
Absolutely, the ACA has nothing to do with the shutdown. Bringing it up just muddies the waters. They need to stay laser-focused on resolving the budget dispute.
It’s really unfortunate to see the shutdown causing so much collateral damage, from air travel disruptions to food assistance delays. This situation is clearly untenable and needs a swift resolution.
Absolutely, the ripple effects are very concerning. The lawmakers need to put partisan differences aside and find a compromise that gets the government reopened quickly.
It’s disappointing to see the president continue to inject partisan rhetoric into the debate. At this point, the focus should be solely on pragmatic problem-solving to reopen the government, not score political points.
Agreed, the political attacks are not helping. The lawmakers need to put aside their differences and work together to find a compromise that serves the best interests of the American people.
Interesting that the Senate is meeting on a weekend, but I guess the urgency of the situation calls for it. I hope they can use this extra time productively to find a compromise and end the stalemate.
Yes, the rare weekend session shows how serious things have become. They need to seize this opportunity and put in the hard work to find a solution.
This prolonged government shutdown is really causing a lot of hardship for many Americans. I hope the Senate can find a bipartisan solution soon to get the government back up and running and support struggling federal workers and their families.
Agreed, this situation is untenable. Both sides need to compromise and put the interests of the people first.