The Senate just failed to advance a bill to reopen the federal government for the 14th time, even as the chamber shows signs of life towards a possible deal to end the shutdown. Senators voted 54-44 on the House-passed “clean” continuing resolution, which would have funded the government through November 21st. It needed 60 votes to advance. Despite the very tentative moves toward a deal, the tally remained largely the same. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) and Angus King (I-Maine) all continued to vote with Republicans. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) once again broke with the GOP on the spending measure.
While many are still demanding their colleagues dig in and fight, a critical mass of Democratic senators appear to be engaged in serious talks about bringing an end to the five-week stalemate, as the shutdown is set to overtake the 35-day record Tuesday night. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) and Elissa Slotkin (D- Michigan) as well as other Democratic Senators- Chris Coons (Delaware), Mark Kelly (Arizona), Gary Peters (Michigan), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Jon Ossoff (Georgia), Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen (Nevada), as well as Maine Senator Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats met Monday night and appear to be making progress. Their conversations have focused on passing a new funding patch to reopen agencies, reaching an understanding on moving full-year appropriations bills and scheduling a vote on ACA subsidies. Republicans have also pledged that President Donald Trump will meet with Democrats after the shutdown ends. However, among other unresolved issues, many House Democrats, especially in leadership circles, are still opposed to any deal that doesn’t include a concrete legislative solution to extending the ACA subsidies. The developing Senate deal would likely include the promise of a future Senate floor vote that would probably fail, paired with a possible framework for subsequent bipartisan negotiations.
For today, the Senate is also expected to take up confirmation of Executive Calendar #370, Joshua D. Dunlap, of Maine, to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit.
