Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., offered Democrats a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies in exchange for opening the government during a wide-ranging interview with MSNBC.
Thune revealed that he has privately informed Democratic leaders that he is willing to support a vote on extending subsidies if they include certain reforms. He emphasized that he can guarantee a process and a date certain for such a vote, saying "there's a path forward." However, Thune clarified that he cannot promise an outcome or its passage.
The offer comes as Democrats remain skeptical about Republicans' intentions to extend the subsidies, which expire soon. In contrast to other GOP leaders who have cast doubt on addressing expiring tax credits, Thune expressed concern about rising healthcare premiums and mentioned income caps as a potential reform. He refused to commit to supporting a one-year extension of the subsidies, citing their estimated cost.
Thune's willingness to offer Democrats a vote appears to be a last-ditch effort to break the stalemate. The shutdown has now entered its third week, and government workers are missing their first paycheck. Despite Thune's attempts at conciliation, it remains unclear whether his proposal will suffice for Democrats, who may continue to demand more significant concessions.
While Thune expressed hope that the shutdown wouldn't last through Thanksgiving, his comments suggest that a resolution is still far from imminent.
Thune revealed that he has privately informed Democratic leaders that he is willing to support a vote on extending subsidies if they include certain reforms. He emphasized that he can guarantee a process and a date certain for such a vote, saying "there's a path forward." However, Thune clarified that he cannot promise an outcome or its passage.
The offer comes as Democrats remain skeptical about Republicans' intentions to extend the subsidies, which expire soon. In contrast to other GOP leaders who have cast doubt on addressing expiring tax credits, Thune expressed concern about rising healthcare premiums and mentioned income caps as a potential reform. He refused to commit to supporting a one-year extension of the subsidies, citing their estimated cost.
Thune's willingness to offer Democrats a vote appears to be a last-ditch effort to break the stalemate. The shutdown has now entered its third week, and government workers are missing their first paycheck. Despite Thune's attempts at conciliation, it remains unclear whether his proposal will suffice for Democrats, who may continue to demand more significant concessions.
While Thune expressed hope that the shutdown wouldn't last through Thanksgiving, his comments suggest that a resolution is still far from imminent.
... Thune's offer sounds like a pretty weak sauce to me, like he's just trying to get something passed without actually having to put in any real work 
. And what's with the income caps? That's just gonna hurt people who aren't making a ton of money already 
. I mean, I know some folks might be worried about healthcare costs, but can't we just find a better way to deal with it than by messing around with subsidies and extensions? 
It feels like we're just patching things up without fixing the real problems...
if they open the gov 
like what's next? he said he can guarentee a process but not the outcome idk man...i was hoping for more concrete stuff from him. i mean, thunes trying to break the stalemate here, but idk how much dems will b willing to compromise 
so lets hope thune's offer is enough to get us outta this mess sooner than thanksgiving lol fingers crossed 
! It's like, can't they just work together and find a solution already? I mean, John Thune seems like a reasonable guy, but it's just politics, right? 
. Can't we just get something done already? 
...it's not fair to them at all. And now we're stuck in this limbo where nothing gets done 
. I just wanna know when things are gonna get back to normal, you know? 
. Sounds like a deal, right? But here's the thing - he's not promising they'll actually pass it or anything 
. He just says there might be a way forward and that includes some reforms 
.
.
, but I'm not sure if it'll actually work 
. Democrats seem pretty skeptical about his offer 
. And who can blame them? One-year extension of subsidies doesn't sound like much of a concession 
. I mean, John Thune is trying to be all reasonable and offer Democrats a vote on extending Obamacare subsidies, but it's like they're speaking different languages 
. The thing is, if they open the government, it's gotta be for real this time 
.
, but his words are all "there's a path forward" and not enough concrete actions 
. And honestly, who can trust the GOP leaders on healthcare reforms? 
. So, when are they gonna make some real progress? 
. It's like, can't we all just agree to disagree and move forward? 
. I'm not sure if Thune's offer will be enough to break the stalemate, but it's definitely worth a shot, right? 
The fact that he's willin' to put in some real reforms, like income caps, shows me there's still some bipartisan love goin' on. 
I'm not sure if it's enough for the Democrats, but it's a start, right? 
I mean, what's gonna happen if Democrats don't agree to his terms? Will he just give up on trying to help them out? 
anyway, this whole shutdown thing is getting old... gotta wonder how much longer ppl can go without pay 
. We need concrete action, not just words. And what about the cost? He mentions that he can't commit to supporting a one-year extension, and I get why he'd be concerned about that 
. The thing is, we need more than just some reforms to address rising healthcare premiums; we need systemic changes 
.
. Fingers crossed 
.