Senate Remains in Session Amidst Government Shutdown
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has informed reporters that the U.S. Senate will continue to remain in session until an agreement is made to reopen the government. This marks the 39th consecutive day of the current session.
The Senate was initially set to leave Washington, D.C. around Veterans Day, but Thune mentioned that they would reconvene this weekend instead. This Saturday’s session is somewhat unusual, aimed at breaking the ongoing deadlock.
A reporter inquired, “Are you planning on staying until the government reopens?”
Thune responded, “Yes.”
While the House has already passed a funding bill that aims to keep the government open until late November, Senate Democrats have repeatedly opposed this bill, voting against it 14 times. They are advocating for an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year.
On Friday, Democrats proposed a package of three bills that included a one-year extension of health care subsidies, which were enhanced during former President Joe Biden’s administration, along with a full-year spending bill referred to as the “minibus.” However, after discussions with a bipartisan group of lawmakers overnight, Republicans rejected this proposal, with Thune labeling it a “nonstarter.” He is focused on discussing the minibuses and hopes for a vote this weekend.
“The question is, can we get everything ready? I’ve been speaking with some people involved and I think we’re almost there,” Thune said on Saturday. “We just need to get the document out. Ideally, it would be great to set up a vote today, but we need a vote to actually pass it. So, we’ll see how things unfold. Once the document is out, I believe people will have a clearer understanding of where they stand.”
In a surprising announcement, Thune stated that the Senate would continue its sessions until the government reopens, aligning with a request from President Trump. This implies that they will be working over the weekend and the upcoming week.
