“There’s A Plan”: Group Of Centrist Democrats Want Colleagues To End Shutdown

A group of eight centrist Democrats who want to end the government shutdown – now the longest in US history – have been approaching their colleagues about a deal to reopen the federal government this week or next week, however progressives within the party are pushing back hard, according to The Hill, citing people familiar with the discussions.

To refresh your memory, the crux of the shutdown is that Democrats want to extend pandemic-era Obamacare enhancements, which include coverage for illegals – and they’re unwilling to kick the can down the road with a “clean” (free of new pork) continuing resolution while congress debates a larger package (again).

According to one senator, the centrist Democrats include Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) – and apparently have the ‘contours of a deal’ and are “whipping” more of their colleagues to sign on. 

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) has reportedly signaled that she would likely support such a deal, which would include a plan to pass regular appropriations bills, as well as a vote on extending expiring health insurance subsidies (which were always meant to be temporary during the pandemic). 

The deal would also create a path for approving an appropriations package to fund part of the federal government through 2026, and would guarantee Democrats a vote in the Senate on extending the enhanced Obamacare provisions.

“There’s a plan, we’ve all kind of semiagreed to it and we’re now seeing not whether [Senate Democratic Leader Chuck] Schumer will support it but whether he will not blow it up,” one senator told the outlet. 

Senate Democrats met for more than two hours at lunch Tuesday to discuss the parameters of the emerging deal.

One person familiar with Tuesday’s heated discussion within the caucus says there appears to be at least eight Democratic votes to reopen the government — even though progressive Democratic senators vented their frustration with the potential deal. -The Hill

“To me, it looked like there were eight votes, but it could change. There’s a lot to think about,” one senator told the outlet. 

If Shaheen, Peters and Hassan do vote for a short-term spending deal, GOP leaders would only need two more votes to reopen the government. 

That said, since Rand Paul (R-KY) has repeatedly voted against a House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government through Nov. 21, and GOP leaders will need eight Democrats to cross the aisle. 

They’ve already got the support of Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Angus King (I-ME), who have all repeatedly voted in favor of the bill.

Other Democrats who have been involved in talks with Shaheen and Peters are Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who faces a competitive reelection next year, and Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

Slotkin, however, signaled to reporters Tuesday that she wants to see a solution to rising healthc are costs as part of any agreement to fund the government.

“When there’s a deal and we get something on health care, I’ll be ready to reopen the government,” she said.  -The Hill

Yet, progressives want Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to ‘use his personal influence’ to dissuade the coalition of centrist Dems from reopening the government. 

Of note, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said that any proposal that would extend Obamacare subsidies would need 60 votes in the Senate – ruling out the possibility of passing such a provision with a simple-majority vote.