Republicans Quickly Reject Democrats' Offer On Ending Government Shutdown
· Yahoo NewsWASHINGTON — Republicans on Friday spurned a Democratic proposal to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history that included a vote to reopen the government in exchange for a yearlong extension of expiring health insurance subsidies for people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act.
“After so many failed votes, it’s clear we need to try something different,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a Senate floor speech on Friday. “All Republicans have to do is say ‘yes’ to extend current law for one year.”
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But Republicans quickly shot it down, insisting that Senate Democrats first agree to make reforms to the program, including an income cap for eligibility and a gradual wind-down.
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“It’s a horrible idea,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) said of Schumer’s offer. “We might as well go home and start over again. It’s disappointing that they think that this is what’s going to open the government.”
Democrats’ offer is not much different from their basic demand for the past six weeks — a vote for government funding in exchange for an extension of Affordable Care Act health care subsidies — but it’s significantly narrower than what Democrats have previously demanded.
The Democrats’ official alternative to the Republicans’ basic government funding bill includes a permanent extension of the expiring health care tax credits, plus a repeal of the Medicaid cuts Republicans enacted earlier this summer, plus new curbs on President Donald Trump’s ability to cut spending through so-called rescissions.
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However, unlike House Democratic leadership, which ruled out a one-year extension of ACA subsidies last month, Senate Democrats have kept their demands more narrow and open-ended, insisting only that Republicans come to the table and negotiate with them on health care.
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Schumer on Friday said his offer would respect the GOP’s position not to negotiate with Democrats over health care until the government is open since it would simply include “an extension of current law.” He said the offer also includes a new bipartisan committee to negotiate a future health care compromise.
Republicans rejected Schumer’s proposal almost immediately, reiterating that any conversations about extending the health care subsidies can only occur after Democrats vote to reopen the government.
“Democrats are openly negotiating with themselves,” a Senate GOP leadership aide told HuffPost: “A total sign of desperation from ‘Leader Schumer’ as the sane members of his caucus are ready to jump ship.”
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), meanwhile, told reporters the Democrats’ offer is “an indication that they’re feeling the heat.”
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“I guess you could characterize that as progress, but I just don’t think that it gets anywhere close to what we need to do here,” he added.
Democrats’ new offer to end the shutdown comes as the negative effects of the funding impasse get worse and worse, with millions of households missing food benefits, hundreds of thousands of federal employees working without pay, and hundreds of flights being canceled or delayed.
While Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are at risk for more than 20 million households, Democrats have remained focused on the lapse of health care subsidies that help more than 20 million Americans buy health insurance on ACA exchanges.
“Unless this United States Senate acts, the people we represent are going to lose health care,” Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said on the Senate floor.