Light at the end of the government shutdown tunnel

By Thérèse Boudreaux
The Center Square

U.S. Senate Republicans have offered Democrats a face-saving way out of the government shutdown: in exchange for support to reopen the government, Republicans will guarantee a vote on the expiring Obamacare subsidies and also reverse some of the Trump administration’s mass layoffs.

Those two concessions are as far as Republican leaders are willing to go to end the ongoing shutdown, which has lasted a record-long 40 days as Democrats held out over health care policy demands.

After Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., kept lawmakers in session over the weekend, the Senate Appropriations Committee released an updated Continuing Resolution on Sunday night, which outlines the details of Republicans’ offer.

The new CR would extend government funding to Jan. 30, requiring another vote in the U.S. House, which would reopen the government, avoid the risk of lawmakers ramming through a bloated omnibus in December, and give Congress enough time to finish the normal-order appropriations process.

Republicans have also paired the CR with the Senate-passed minibus, which would knock out three of the 12 appropriations bills that provide fiscal year 2026 funding for federal agencies. The minibus funds Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; the Food and Drug Administration, Agriculture department, and rural development; and the Legislative Branch.

Crucially, the deal also includes a promise that lawmakers will vote on extending the sunsetting enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credit. Senate Democrats voted 14 consecutive times against reopening the government since Sept. 30 over demands that a funding deal also extend the subsidies.

A mere vote on the subsidies does not necessarily guarantee an extension, however. So Republican leaders have sweetened the deal by vowing to reverse some of the Trump administration’s legally dubious Reduction-in-Force (RIF) actions, where it laid off thousands of furloughed federal workers during the shutdown. The funding deal would also prevent the administration from conducting RIFs as long as the CR remains in effect.

Thune needs at least seven lawmakers in the Democratic Caucus to vote yes in order for the CR to pass. Although many Democrats have already come out and condemned the offer as insufficient – including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., – others have expressed support, with promising results.

Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa.; Angus King, I-Maine; and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.; have already voted with Republicans to reopen the government for the past few weeks.

Now, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; Dick Durbin, D-Ill; and Tim Kaine, D-Va.; all indicated support Sunday for Republicans’ compromise CR.

“This bill is not perfect, but it takes important steps to reduce their shutdown’s hurt,” Durbin said in a statement. “Now that Democrats secured these wins, it’s time for Leader Thune to keep his promise to schedule a vote on the ACA tax credits in December and we will see to it that he makes good on his word for the millions of Americans worried they won’t be able to afford health care in January.”