After nearly six weeks of a painful shutdown, a critical number of Senate Democrats are backing a Republican funding bill to reopen government — with little to show for holding out so long.
Late Sunday night, eight Democrats joined all but one Republican to clear a 60-vote threshold in the Senate, 60-40, opening debate on a House-passed funding bill. The breakthrough, which came together suddenly on day 40 of the shutdown, offers Democrats few new concessions beyond what Republicans had already proposed. In fact, the emerging deal mirrors what Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., floated weeks ago during an interview with MSNBC: reopen the government now, and Republicans will later give Democrats a vote on extending the expiring Obamacare subsidies.
The only new additions to the emerging deal are provisions reversing government layoffs ordered during the shutdown, language preventing new layoffs through the duration of the stopgap, and backpay for federal workers — which is already required under a 2019 law. Notably, there is no guarantee that the Obamacare subsidies will be extended — and no commitment from GOP House leaders to even hold a vote on the subsidies.
Although the bill still has many steps before a final passage vote, it looks like the breakthrough on Sunday will eventually end the longest government shutdown in history.
This is a preview of Mychael Schnell, Kevin Frey and Peggy Helman's latest article. Read the full article here.
