Bipartisan Senate Talks on Shutdown Intensify, But Deal Uncertain/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ As the government shutdown reaches 37 days, bipartisan negotiations in the Senate are ramping up. Senate Majority Leader John Thune proposes a new funding package, but Democrats remain divided on healthcare demands. Despite increased urgency, a final agreement remains elusive.
Shutdown Negotiation Stalemate Quick Looks
- Senate Majority Leader Thune introduces a new bipartisan funding package.
- The shutdown enters its 37th day, now the longest in U.S. history.
- Democrats demand a vote to extend expiring health care subsidies.
- President Trump urges Republicans to end the shutdown after election losses.
- Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to promise a health care vote.
- Procedural votes could begin Friday as talks escalate.
- Moderate Democrats push for reopening while preserving leverage.
- Crisis impacts federal workers, food aid, and airport operations.
Bipartisan Senate Talks on Shutdown Intensify, But Deal Uncertain
Deep Look
With the government shutdown dragging into its 37th day, pressure is mounting on lawmakers to find a resolution. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday that he is prepared to move forward with a new bipartisan proposal designed to restart critical federal services, but significant hurdles remain in securing Democratic support.
The proposal comes amid growing frustration on Capitol Hill and among the public. The prolonged shutdown has stalled food assistance, delayed paychecks for federal employees, and caused increasing disruptions at airports nationwide. While both parties agree that the crisis must end, deep divisions over health care provisions and future commitments continue to stall progress.
Thune’s plan seeks to fund various parts of the government — including programs for veterans, food aid, and legislative operations — while extending funding for remaining federal agencies through December or January. Unlike the House-passed bill that would only extend funding until November 21, this new package is broader and is aimed at appealing to centrist Democrats and Republicans alike.
Senate procedural votes on the proposed funding bill could begin as early as Friday, offering the first real test of whether a bipartisan consensus is achievable. However, details of the legislation are still being finalized, and it is unclear if it will include any concrete commitments on health care — a sticking point for many Senate Democrats.
Moderate Democrats, led in part by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, have been quietly developing a framework for a deal. Their proposal would mirror Republican suggestions by allowing a future vote on renewing the expiring health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, rather than demanding immediate action. The subsidies are set to expire in January, leaving millions at risk of increased health care costs.
Still, Democrats remain split. Some believe the shutdown should not end until Republicans and President Donald Trump agree to extend the subsidies now. Others favor reopening the government immediately, followed by continued negotiations on health care. After a second caucus meeting this week, many Democrats left without a unified strategy.
“Working on unity and working on health care,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., reflecting the ongoing efforts to bridge internal party differences.
President Trump, acknowledging the political damage the shutdown may have caused, met with Senate Republicans on Wednesday. He reportedly told them the standoff had been a “big factor, negative” in the previous day’s elections, which handed Democrats decisive victories. Despite this, Trump has also continued to pressure the Senate to eliminate the filibuster to allow funding bills to pass with a simple majority — a move Senate leadership has strongly opposed.
On the other side of the Capitol, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., took a hard line on Thursday, stating he would not commit to holding a vote on the health care subsidy extension that Democrats are demanding. “I’m not promising anybody anything,” Johnson said when pressed by reporters.
That stance dealt a blow to ongoing negotiations. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., a moderate involved in discussions, labeled Johnson’s comments a “significant problem” for any deal seeking broad bipartisan support.
“We need a package that can pass both chambers and gain the president’s signature,” Peters said, acknowledging the tightrope lawmakers must walk to achieve consensus.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has largely remained on the sidelines of the latest negotiations but did signal on Thursday that pressure was growing on the president.
“Donald Trump clearly is feeling pressure to bring this shutdown to an end,” Schumer said.
In a notable twist, Republican negotiators suggested Thursday they might support language reversing some of the mass firings of federal workers that occurred during the shutdown. According to sources familiar with the private negotiations, Republicans are open to including provisions to recall fired workers and ensure furloughed employees receive back pay.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a key moderate, confirmed that restoring pay and job security for affected workers was under discussion.
“We’re still negotiating that language,” Collins said, signaling ongoing bipartisan engagement behind closed doors.
Even as optimism grows around the possibility of a new deal, the underlying ideological rift remains unresolved. For Democrats, the health care subsidies represent a core priority. Many progressive lawmakers argue that any delay in addressing them could leave vulnerable Americans exposed to soaring costs and lapsed coverage.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has been particularly vocal in insisting that a vote on subsidies must come with meaningful assurances.
“That means a commitment by the speaker of the House, that he will support the legislation, that the president will sign,” Sanders said.
While some lawmakers are willing to take Republicans up on their offer for a future vote, many Democrats remain wary that such a promise may never materialize without binding commitments — especially given Speaker Johnson’s public refusal to negotiate terms.
Despite these ongoing tensions, lawmakers from both parties insist progress is being made. There is cautious hope that procedural votes on Thune’s proposal could begin before the weekend, providing a potential off-ramp from the longest shutdown in U.S. history. But whether that path leads to a sustainable bipartisan deal remains to be seen.
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