Thune “Willing To Give Democrats All The Things They Want” As Friday Shutdown Vote Looms

The Senate will vote for a 15th time today on a short-term funding bill to reopen the government – with a growing number of Republicans indicating that they’re open to caving over Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is offering Democrats post-shutdown votes on ACA and tax credits in an attempt to win Democratic support and end the standoff, which is now in its 37th day. 

“I’m willing to give Democrats all the things they want,” Thune said Friday. 

The comments come after Democratic support for a deal to reopen the government has failed over such promises – with Senate dems rejecting a Thursday proposal to pass a continuing resolution to three full-year appropriations bills that would fund military construction, veterans’ affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch. 

Democratic senators discussed the proposal at a party luncheon and concluded that it didn’t provide strong enough assurances that Trump and the GOP-controlled house would renew the pandemic-era (short term) ACA subsidies set to expire in January. 

Thune needs at least eight Democrats to cross the aisle in order to reopen the government – and is five short of what he needs. 

“I trust John Thune, but here’s a fact: It’s beyond his control if we … get an enforceable agreement, because we have to get buy-in from the House of Representatives,” said Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), who’s been part of talks to end the shutdown, noting that he doesn’t trust House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to stick to any deals. 

Meanwhile, President Trump reiterated his call for Senate R’s to end the filibuster. 

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) says Trump refused to stick to the deal Senate Republicans negotiated during the 2018-2019 shutdown triggered by a fight over the US-Mexico border wall and immigration policy.

“We had a bipartisan negotiation to solve the problem, came up with a bill — Sen. [Susan] Collins [R-Maine] was involved — and, at the very last minute, President Trump pulled out the rug out from under all the negotiators and said, ‘There’ll be no bill,’” Durbin said. 

Without Trump’s public approval for a deal that would include ACA negotiations, Democrats don’t think Thune can deliver 60 Senate votes to keep health insurance premiums where they are. 

Thune even acknowledged Thursday that his power is limited.

“I can’t — and I’ve made this very clear to them — I can’t guarantee them an outcome. I can guarantee them a process. They can litigate the issue, get the vote on the floor,” he said. “

“Presumably, they have some way of getting a vote in the House at some point, but I can’t speak for the House,” he added.

“And obviously, I can’t guarantee an outcome here.”