The stalemate over how to reopen the federal government will extend into a third week with no resolution in sight, as Democrats and Republicans continue to trade blame for the shutdown that began on October 1st. The Senate returns this afternoon and is expected to vote again on a House-passed measure to fund the government. It’s fallen short of the necessary 60-vote threshold seven times, as Senate Republicans have unsuccessfully sought to win more support from Democrats, with Democrats continuing to say they won’t vote to reopen the government unless health insurance tax credits are extended. Senate Republicans said they would no longer allow Democrats to keep calling up their own stopgap spending bill funding the government through the end of October, forcing votes only on the GOP-led alternative.
The GOP effort to force Democrats to find five more votes comes as talks between the top four congressional leaders remain virtually nonexistent. And there’s no sign that rank-and-file Senate Democrats — just five of whom could quickly end the shutdown — are ready to flip ahead of another scheduled vote on the House-passed stopgap tonight. While troops are no longer in danger of missing their Wednesday paychecks, other pain points are looming including air travel impacts that are being closely watched. But Democrats are looking at another day they believe will be the ultimate pressure point: the November 1st launch of open enrollment for Affordable Care Act insurance plans. The party has sought to make the pending expiration of premium tax credits a central issue in the standoff, demanding Republicans cut a deal to extend them.
On the other side of the Capitol, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is continuing to keep the House out of session this week, and he argues Democrats will bear the consequences of closed agencies and most federal workers continuing to miss paychecks. “We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history, unless Democrats drop their partisan demands and pass a clean, no-strings-attached budget to reopen the government and pay our federal workers,” Speaker Johnson said. Johnson, who canceled votes in the lower chamber again this week, said the House “will return to legislative session as soon as the Democrats come to their senses and open the government.”
For today, the Senate will convene at 3:00 P.M. and at 5:30 P.M. will take up the Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to Cal. #168, H.R.5371, Continuing Resolution.
