A bipartisan group of senators is working Wednesday to end what has become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, dangling a sausage-making proposal to give Democrats a guarantee on a vote to extend Obamacare subsidies, according to reports.
The proposal under discussion would pass three appropriations bills to fund several agencies for a full year and temporarily reopen the rest of the government, The Washington Post reported.
In exchange, Senate Republicans would agree to hold a future vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that Democrats want to preserve, sources told the Post.
Around 12 moderate Democrats are considering breaking ranks to support a deal that would reopen the government, according to the report.
Moderates including Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., signaled optimism, saying “everything’s on the table,” and adding that “the pace of talks has increased.”
There was a “thoughtful” discussion as Senate Democrats met for lunch Tuesday for nearly three hours.
“It was one of the better caucus meetings I’ve been in in a while,” Peters said, the Post reported.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., needs around eight Democrats to vote on the House continuing resolution and the three appropriations bills with Republicans holding 53 seats in the Senate to 45 Democrats and the two independents that caucus with them.
“They’re tired of this,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D. “So if they can see a path forward, such as something more than just a vote up or down on ending it, that gives them another reason to vote for something.”
Thus far, Thune has only gotten as many as three to join the GOP, while Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., remains the lone holdout from his party that votes with Democrats to keep the government shut down. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., are the only Democrats to vote to reopen the government.
The shutdown is in its fifth week since funding expired Oct. 1, leaving more than a million federal workers furloughed or unpaid.
Despite the pain of furloughs and missed checks, progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., warned against “caving” without firm guarantees on healthcare, the Post reported.
“The American people know that their healthcare well-being is at stake,” Sanders told the Post. “So if the Democrats cave on this, I think it will be a betrayal to millions and millions of working families who want them to stand up and protect their healthcare benefits.”
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