The Senate is parked in an awkward weekend session as Republicans try to force a clear path out of the ongoing government shutdown, weighing a pared-down continuing resolution against Democratic demands that would extend Obamacare subsidies and tie up negotiations. Leaders on the GOP side want government operations restarted first, then tackle policy fights, while Democrats, buoyed by recent wins, push a package that Republicans call unacceptable. The standoff centers on whether to attach three appropriations bills to a short-term CR and how long to keep the chamber in session before the planned recess. Expect blunt bargaining, firm lines, and a Republican insistence that reopening government comes before new spending commitments.
There’s a simple GOP logic driving the strategy: reopen government, stabilize paychecks for federal employees, then legislate on contentious policy items. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is clear that he wants senators in town until the impasse ends, pushing for measures that actually pass rather than quick show votes that fail. He told reporters that, ideally, the package would be on the floor but that “we’ve got to have votes to actually pass it.” That practical approach is exactly what Republicans say voters expect after weeks of shutdown brinkmanship.
Behind closed doors, appropriators are assembling three spending bills intended to attach to a House-passed continuing resolution, plus an extension to keep government open into December or January. Republicans are understandably cautious about resubmitting a CR only to watch it collapse again, and they want the text vetted before anyone is asked to vote. As Thune put it, “I’ve been talking all morning with some of the folks that are involved with the meeting, and I think we’re getting close to having it ready,” Thune said. “We just need to get the text out there.”
Democrats responded with an alternative that would extend enhanced Obamacare subsidies by a year and create a bipartisan working group to negotiate next steps after the government reopens. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rolled that plan out aggressively, and members of his caucus argued it would immediately relieve pressure on families buying insurance. Republicans uniformly rejected the proposal as a package that strings reopening to unrelated policy changes, with Thune labeling the idea a “non-starter,” and others pushing back forcefully.
Republican senators see the Democrats’ move as political theater rather than problem solving, and some are calling for tougher measures if the shutdown drags on. Sen. Eric Schmitt signaled he would press the administration to cut funding for discretionary projects in liberal cities and states to prioritize federal paychecks. Sen. Schmitt’s stance reflects a wider GOP sentiment that Washington should not be used to reward political demands when the immediate need is to reopen the government.
The rhetoric from the Senate floor has been sharp. Schumer argued GOP rejection was a mistake, saying, “I know many Republicans stormed out of the gate to dismiss this offer, but that’s a terrible mistake.” Republicans, though, see that as misdirection and insist the right sequence is clear: reopen first, negotiate second. Senator Katie Britt has been among those trying to find ground, focusing on jump-starting funding with the trio of spending bills and opening the door to targeted talks once operations resume.
Britt criticized the subsidy push from Democrats by calling out who benefits, asking pointedly why policy extensions would route money straight to insurers instead of directly helping people who pay premiums. She said, “since Obamacare came into effect, look, who’s gotten rich? It’s not the people.” She added, “They’re talking about the people’s premiums and have … they taken it to the companies that are actually making the money off of it? They’re not,” Britt said. That line of argument resonates with GOP concern about fiscal discipline and where subsidies actually flow.
Democratic senators pushed back, arguing their plan was modest and could get the government moving again, but Republicans remain unconvinced. Sen. Chris Murphy framed the offer as “really simple, really scaled-down” and insisted it was “really good for them politically,” yet he also voiced frustration that Schumer and Thune had not negotiated directly. Republicans counter that accepting policy riders during a shutdown sets a bad precedent and that a clean path to reopening is the responsible move for Congress.
The chamber now faces a delicate choice: force a vote that could fail publicly, extend the stalemate, or find a narrow compromise that respects the GOP demand to reopen first. For conservatives and many voters, the priority is straightforward—get agencies working, secure paychecks, then debate policy on solid ground. The strategy from Republican leaders is blunt and clear: no long-term entanglements before the doors to the government are unlocked.
