With both parties refusing to yield ground, the impasse over government funding continues to strain operations and public patience. Republicans have accused Democrats of leveraging the shutdown to gain political advantage, while Democrats argue that the GOP’s refusal to negotiate over healthcare subsidies has prolonged the crisis.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) confirmed that Republicans are not currently drafting a proposal addressing the subsidies sought by Democrats. “I don’t think there’s a way to do that,” Mullin said when asked about the possibility of extending the credits before the November 1 open enrollment deadline. He warned that if an agreement isn’t reached by Christmas, the issue could become entangled in the upcoming election season. “You could maybe push it to January, to February,” he said, “but we get bumped up against…everybody’s primaries, and it becomes a political issue, because, unfortunately, healthcare is political.”
As the shutdown reaches its 16th day, Senate Republicans are attempting to revive the appropriations process through piecemeal funding bills. Thune scheduled a procedural vote Thursday on the defense appropriations measure, which includes funding for military pay and related programs. The move is designed to highlight Democratic resistance while keeping essential services afloat.
However, uncertainty remains over whether Democrats will support the spending measure after months of advocating for a comprehensive, bipartisan approach to funding the government. Following a private caucus meeting Wednesday, several Democratic senators expressed skepticism about the GOP’s plan, calling the vote “irrelevant” given the absence of broader negotiations.
Notably, three members of the Democratic caucus—Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Angus King (I-Maine)—once again crossed party lines to back the Republican resolution. Fetterman, who has frequently supported GOP procedural motions, emphasized the need to separate political disputes from the immediate task of reopening the government.
Echoing the sentiment of frustrated Americans, he said the time had come to “restore operations in Washington” before addressing other partisan battles. For now, however, the Capitol remains gridlocked, and the nation’s federal workers await a solution that seems as elusive as ever.