Senators will not be released to go home until the shutdown, now on its 39th day, is brought to an end.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) will keep the Senate in session until a government funding deal is struck, he told reporters at the Capitol during a rare Saturday session.
Despite the House passing a clean continuing resolution (CR) in September to keep the government open through November 21, the Senate has continued to leave town on weekends, while Democrats have blocked that bill, forcing and prolonging what is now the longest government shutdown in history. The House has not convened while awaiting Senate action on the House-passed CR, resulting in all eyes in Washington focused on the Senate’s action – or inaction.
Democrat Senators, led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), have blocked the House-passed CR fifteen times. A 16th vote is possible Sunday, as Thune seeks new tactics to force recalcitrant Democrats to the table.
Only three, Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NM), and Angus King (I-ME), have joined Republicans in voting for the path to reopen the government.
Democrats triggered the shutdown to force a national conversation on healthcare, an issue on which they felt they had a messaging advantage over Republicans heading into Tuesday’s off-year elections, in which Democrats romped in mostly blue states.
There have been signs since the days before those elections that Democrats were beginning to look for an off ramp, although the election results reenforced the resolve of the Senate Democrat Caucus.
Thune and Republicans have floated a guaranteed vote to deal with expiring covid-era Obamacare premium subsidy extensions, which Democrats have landed on in recent weeks as the price of their vote to reopen the government. Schumer countered Friday with a request including a guaranteed extension of the subsidies for one year in an attempt to keep the issue alive through the midterm elections.
A frustrated Thune said that proposal is a non-starter.
Senate Republicans will meet Sunday for lunch to discuss a path forward.
Bradley Jaye is Deputy Political Editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter and Instagram @BradleyAJaye.
