Congress
Capitol agenda: Thune says shutdown talks are picking up
Nearly one month into the government shutdown, the vibes might finally be shifting.
A looming cliff of crucial deadlines, plus fresh outside pressure, is adding new urgency into bipartisan conversations that have been sputtering for weeks.
“I think they’ve picked up,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told Blue Light News about the rank-and-file bipartisan talks. “Deadlines have a way of doing that.”
Several of Thune’s senators, plus Speaker Mike Johnson and other House GOP leaders, appear increasingly convinced that enough centrist Democrats are getting ready to fold — potentially by early next week.
The looming cutoff of food benefits, air travel delays and a new statement from the largest union of federal employees calling on lawmakers to end the shutdown are bearing down, they believe.
It’s worth noting: Democrats are not signaling publicly that they are ready to take an off-ramp. Asked what his plan was for ending the shutdown, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Tuesday that he believes after Nov. 1 Republicans will face “increased pressure to negotiate with us.” But a growing number of Democrats, including liberal stalwarts like Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), have signaled support for stand-alone bills to ease shutdown impacts.
Republican leaders are quietly ramping up their own internal conversations about what their next steps should be. So far, they’re talking about a new stopgap, with dozens of iterations under discussion. Options include a funding punt to around Jan. 21 or later into March, according to five people familiar with the conversations.
White House officials want a funding punt as long as possible, potentially all the way through December 2026. GOP hard-liners like that idea but appropriators and defense hawks don’t.
“Every option is fraught with a ton of problems,” one Republican told Blue Light News.
Thune told Blue Light News that any stopgap expiring before the end of this year is a no-go.
“Yeah, there’s no way we can do that by December. I think that’s the assessment just based on what the calendar looks like,” Thune said.
Republicans have privately offered to Democrats that once the government is reopened, bipartisan spending bills will start moving — first a package of bills including Agriculture funding, and then a second package of bills that would include Defense and Labor-HHS. So far, though, this hasn’t been enough to get Democrats to bite.
And none of this addresses Democrats’ key shutdown concern: health care. But Thune dangled a fresh carrot Tuesday, telling reporters that President Donald Trump would be willing to meet with them as soon as next week to talk about expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies — if the government is reopened.
What else we’re watching:
— New record in Congress: Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva has now waited to be sworn in longer than any other member in history. Wednesday marks day 36 since her special election victory on Sept. 23. The Arizona Democrat won’t be seated as long as Johnson keeps the House out of session — and Johnson insists his hands are tied due to the shutdown.
— Potential year-end health package: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise has been discussing health care policy with the chairs of three critical House committees: Ways and Means’ Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Education and Workforce’s Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Energy and Commerce’s Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.). According to a person familiar with the ongoing informal conversations, Scalise is soliciting legislative ideas that could be incorporated in a year-end health package.
Benjamin Guggenheim and Calen Razor contributed to this report.
A group of Senate Republicans believe they’ve found a path to ending the five-week Department of Homeland Security shutdown after meeting Monday with President Donald Trump.
Asked after the White House meeting if they had a solution after meeting with Trump, Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama told reporters, “We do.”
Britt and Sens. Bernie Moreno of Ohio, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Steve Daines of Montana met with Trump to try to pitch to accept an agreement that would fund most of DHS.
Their pitch, according to two people with knowledge of it, was to pass a funding bill that would fund all of DHS except specific parts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is already funded under last year’s GOP megabill.
Graham told colleagues on the Senate floor after the meeting that the president is now open to a new party-line reconciliation bill after rejecting the idea over the weekend, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said. That could give Republicans a path to pass more ICE funding — if they can muster the votes.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. And Republicans cautioned that nothing is official until Trump backs it publicly.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said “hope so” when asked Monday night whether a deal was in hand.
Proceeding with the arrangement with Trump’s support would represent a U-turn from just 24 hours ago for the president, who insisted Sunday that DHS could be only funded if Democrats agreed to pass a partisan GOP elections bill, the SAVE America Act, alongside it.
Democrats in both chambers have pressed Republicans multiple times to take up their bills that would fund all of DHS except ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the secretary’s office. Republicans have rejected the efforts each time.
Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a senior appropriator, said there are “various options” for funding the department but is “hopeful” a solution was within grasp.
“Republicans have put a lot on the table, and hopefully the Democrats will agree,” he said.
Four Senate Republicans are meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss funding the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shuttered for more than a month amid a standoff with Democrats over the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.
GOP lawmakers attending the Monday night meeting, according to a person granted anonymity to share details of a private confab, are Sens. Katie Britt of Alabama, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Steve Daines of Montana.
Britt is the chair of the appropriations subcommittee with oversight over DHS and has been helping lead negotiations to reopen the agency — though Trump warned Sunday night a deal should not be brokered until Democrats agree to help Republicans pass a partisan elections bill known as the SAVE America Act.
The White House is holding off on further DHS funding negotiations until the Senate confirms Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to lead the agency, according to a White House official, granted anonymity to share internal thinking.
Democrats have previously canceled meetings, and given Mullin is close to confirmation, the official said, aides to President Donald Trump believe it’s better to wait so he can be a “full and active” participant in funding talks from the DHS side.
The White House earlier in the day rejected a Monday morning meetingwith a bipartisan group of senators who have been negotiating to end the DHS shutdown. Democrats had previously canceled a Saturday meeting.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on Mullin’s confirmation shortly before 8 p.m. Monday.
Some Senate Republicans are aiming to meet with Trump on Monday night to discuss the DHS funding situation, although no meeting has been officially scheduled.
The meeting, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, would be to try to pitch Trump on a plan to fund all of DHS except specific pieces of ICE, which have already been funded through last year’s megabill.
Trump was in Memphis, Tenn., earlier in the day, attending an anti-crime event and paying a visit to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s former home.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expected additional meetings Monday but declined to say who was involved: “Conversations continue,” he said.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
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