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Before Senate Democrats forced the government into shutdown mode, the Republican-led House had already passed legislation to keep operations running through November 21. If senators reach a deal now, the House would have to return to approve it—effectively extending the government’s funding deadline once again.
At the center of the fight lies the dispute over Obamacare tax credits, one of the Democrats’ biggest demands. Under the emerging plan, that issue would be handled through a standalone Senate vote, though Axios reports it’s still unclear whether the measure would need a 60-vote threshold or a simple majority to pass.
Thune expressed hope the chamber could vote as early as this week to reopen the government. “But if we don’t start seeing some progress or evidence of that by at least the middle of this week, it’s hard to see how we would finish anything by the end of the week,” he said, according to Newsweek.
He added, “There are people who realize this has gone on long enough and there’s been enough pain inflicted on the American people, and it’s time to end it,” in remarks to CBS News.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made it clear he’s pushing for a January deadline—far beyond the Christmas season—to avoid what many in Congress dread most: the “holiday omnibus.”
“I am not a fan of extending it to December, because, let’s be frank, a lot of people around here have PTSD about Christmas omnibus spending bills. We don’t want to do that,” Johnson said. “It gets too close, and we don’t want to have that risk. We’re not doing that. Too many people have concerns.”
Johnson added that moving the deadline into January “makes sense,” but acknowledged that discussions are still ongoing. “We’ve got to obviously build consensus around that… We’ll see where it lands,” he said.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) backed Johnson’s proposal, warning against another end-of-year spending frenzy. “In both chambers, both parties, there’s a dread of what’s called the Christmas omnibus, where we put you right up to the edge of Christmas, and they don’t let you go home to your family until you pass a God awful omnibus bill. We don’t want to do that to our members,” Cole told Fox News.
Despite the cautious optimism, Senate Democrats once again voted to keep the shutdown in place—marking day 35 of the standoff.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Thune reflected on the mounting strain, saying, “I hope close, but the pressures, the cross-pressures that everybody’s feeling, are great.” He added, “There are people who realize this has gone on long enough and there’s been enough pain inflicted on the American people and it’s time to end it. We’ll see whether the sufficient numbers are there.”
Thune emphasized that Republicans are working tirelessly to outline what they’re willing to accept regarding appropriations, spending, and changes to Obamacare. The message from GOP leadership is clear: Americans have suffered long enough from Washington’s dysfunction, and it’s time for Congress to get back to work.
