Senate Republicans Visit White House to Discuss Ongoing Shutdown Deadlock

As the government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, Senate Republicans are making their way to the White House on Tuesday. However, this visit isn’t for urgent negotiations to resolve the impasse. Instead, it represents a show of solidarity with President Donald Trump, as they continue to resist Democratic demands.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats appear steadfast in their strategy, repeatedly voting against a bill passed by the House that would reopen the government. They remain firm in their stance until Republicans, alongside Trump, engage in discussions regarding the extension of health care subsidies set to expire at year-end.

With both parties entrenched in their positions, the duration of this stalemate remains uncertain. As the deadlock drags on, hundreds of thousands of federal employees face the prospect of missing another paycheck, while states issue warnings about the imminent cessation of crucial federal programs. The upcoming meeting at the White House seems unlikely to yield a bipartisan resolution, as Senate Republicans remain resolute and Trump aligns with their position.

“I think the president’s ready to get involved in discussions about extending the subsidies,” stated Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota on Monday. “But I don’t think they are prepared to do that until the Democrats open up the government.”

Missed paychecks and programs running out of money

In the meantime, as the gridlock persists on Capitol Hill, the repercussions of the shutdown are escalating. Federal workers face the grim reality of missed paychecks, with no clarity on eventual compensation. Vital services such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Head Start preschool programs, crucial for needy families, risk losing funding. On Monday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced the furloughing of 1,400 federal workers by the National Nuclear Security Administration. Moreover, the Federal Aviation Administration has reported shortages of air traffic controllers, leading to flight delays in cities across the United States.

Still, there has been little urgency in Washington as each side believes the other will eventually cave.

“Our position remains the same, we want to end the shutdown as soon as we can and fix the ACA premium crisis that looms over 20 million hardworking Americans,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday, referring to the expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire in December.

Schumer called the White House meeting a “pep rally” and said it was “shameful” that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has kept the House out of town during the shutdown.

November deadlines

Members of both parties acknowledge that as the shutdown drags on, it is becoming less likely every day that Congress will be able to either extend the subsidies or fund the government through the regular appropriations process. The House GOP bill that Senate Democrats have now rejected 11 times would only keep the government open through Nov. 21.

Thune on Monday hinted that Republicans may propose a longer extension of current funding instead of passing individual spending bills if the shutdown doesn’t end soon. Congress would need to pass an extension beyond Nov. 21, he said, “if not something on a much longer-term basis.”

Democrats are focused on Nov. 1, when next year’s enrollment period for the ACA coverage begins and millions of people will sign up for their coverage without the expanded subsidy help that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once those sign-ups begin, they say, it would be much harder to restore the subsidies even if they did have a bipartisan compromise.

“Very soon Americans are going to have to make some really difficult choices about which health care plan they choose for next year,” Schumer said.

What about Trump?

Tuesday’s White House meeting will be a chance for Republican senators to engage with the president on the shutdown after he has been more involved in foreign policy and other issues.

The president last week dismissed Democratic demands as “crazy,” adding, “We’re just not going to do it.”

North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said that Republican senators will talk strategy with the president at Tuesday’s lunch. “Obviously, we’ll talk to him about it, and he’ll give us his ideas, and we’ll talk about ours,” Hoeven said. “Anything we can do to try to get Democrats to join us” and pass the Republican bill to reopen the government, Hoeven said.

Still, GOP lawmakers expect Trump to stay in line with their current posture to reject negotiations until the government is open.

“Until they put something reasonable on the table to talk about, I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” said Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy.

Democrats say they believe Trump has to be more involved for the government to reopen.

“He needs to get off the sidelines, get off the golf course,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “We know that House and Senate Republicans don’t do anything without getting permission from their boss, Donald J. Trump.”