Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Republican colleagues Thursday to expect a vote today on a new proposal aimed at ending the ongoing government shutdown, reported to The Wall Street Journal. The move is part of an effort by GOP leaders to build momentum toward a bipartisan deal.
The proposal would pair a short-term spending measure with three full-year appropriations bills covering the legislative branch, agriculture, and military construction and veterans affairs. It remains unclear whether the temporary measure would extend government funding through mid-December or January.
Democrats have signaled that the plan falls short of their demands, particularly the inclusion of extended Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. Senator Richard Blumenthal said the subsidies must be written directly into the bill, warning that “settling for some kind of vague promise about a vote in the future… is a mistake.”
To attract Democratic support, senators have discussed adding a provision to halt or reverse layoffs initiated at the start of the shutdown. Senator Tim Kaine has indicated he could back an interim bill if it guaranteed protection against further “reductions in force.”
Republican leaders have resisted tying the ACA subsidies directly to the spending bill, instead offering a separate vote on the matter. “Settling for some kind of vague promise about a vote in the future on some indeterminate bill, without any definite inclusion in the law, I think is a mistake.”
Senator Peter Welch underscored the stakes of inaction: “There’s no other institution that can protect folks from the hammer blow of these explosive premium increases.”
The shutdown’s effects have deepened, with federal employees missing paychecks and agencies cutting services. On Thursday, federal officials announced plans to reduce commercial air traffic shortly due to staffing shortages.
In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated his stance that the Senate must approve the GOP’s earlier stopgap funding bill, passed in September, before new negotiations can proceed. “The House did its job on Sept. 19,” Johnson said. “I’m not promising anybody anything.”
President Trump has maintained that Democrats must first vote to reopen the government before any talks on policy demands. He has recently urged Senate Republicans to consider eliminating the filibuster rule to pass legislation without Democratic support.
As both parties weigh their next steps, frustration has mounted within the Senate.
“This thing… is a total goat rodeo,” said Senator John Kennedy. “I can’t tell you what it’s going to be. I don’t think they know what it’s going to be.”
Senate Democrats met behind closed doors Thursday in an effort to find common ground. “We’re closer,” said Senator Chris Murphy, though details of the potential compromise remain unclear.
