Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and most Senate Democrats are unwilling to budge on their position as the government shutdown rolls into a second week. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Still, no party that has introduced unrelated demands into a government shutdown fight has walked away with a victory. The last government shutdown in early 2019 saw Trump demand that Democrats provide funding for his border wall, and he walked away empty-handed.
Throughout last week, Senate Democrats maintained a posture that they wanted Republicans to come to the negotiating table on the subsidies, which are set to sunset at the end of this year. Conversations among members are ongoing, which both Schumer and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have encouraged.
"We want Democrats to talk with Republicans," Schumer said. "And so it's a good thing."
ERNST DEMANDS $2T IN FEDERAL CUTS, URGES TRUMP TEAM TO 'MAKE DC SQUEAL' AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT
President Donald Trump listens during a news conference in the State Dining Room of the White House on Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
"The ObamaCare enhanced, or COVID subsidies, are inflationary, and rates have been going up because that program is fundamentally flawed in ways designed," Thune said. "That doesn't mean it can't be reformed and fixed. It can, but we can't get to that conversation until we get the government back open."
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Lawmakers are set to again vote on Republicans’ CR, and it is again expected to fail for a fifth time Monday, given that no deal was struck over the weekend. Both sides agree that a deal won’t come from the top level, but will have to be borne from negotiations among rank-and-file members.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., has been directly involved in the member-level negotiations and said that Republicans did want to tackle the ObamaCare issue. But, Democrats have to agree to reopen the government first.
"It would be nice if Sen. Schumer could say his shutdown is complete, but we suspect that it will take members of his conference to make that decision on his behalf," Rounds said.
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumers-shutdown-scheme-explained-dems-double-down-obamacare-credits-standoff-drags