Several Senate Democrats are signaling a willingness to vote to reopen the government if they secure some final key concessions from the White House, a sign that a major breakthrough could be within reach amid the longest shutdown in US history, according to a person involved in the talks.
The emerging deal would include a stopgap measure to extend government funding until January and be tied to a larger package to fully fund several key agencies.
The deal would not include an extension of the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies — a key Democratic demand — but it would guarantee a vote in the Senate on the issue at a later date.
There are no assurances that the extension of ACA subsidies would become law.
The source said that Democrats recognize that President Donald Trump’s new hardline against extending the ACA subsidies prevents a real chance of reaching a bipartisan deal on that issue, so several of them are willing to settle for just a standalone vote in order to end the worsening shutdown crisis.
There are still some key sticking points that need to be resolved before the government can reopen, according to the source. Chief among them is the demand by Democrats to reinstate fired federal workers by the Trump administration.
It’s unclear when the votes may occur as the final negotiations play out behind the scenes. Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled that the initial vote could take place as soon as Sunday.
The Senate would first vote to take up the House-passed stopgap measure, which means eight Democrats would need to support it for it to advance. Then, the Senate would amend that bill with the larger funding package negotiated between the two parties.
If the bill passes the Senate, it will have to go back to the House for final passage to send it to Trump’s desk in order to reopen the government. The process could take several more days to play out.
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