Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are not ready to yield their position on extending ObamaCare tax credits as the government shutdown continues. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
However, only Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, have broken with their caucus to end the shutdown. Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., remains the lone Republican to buck his party.
Senate Democrats have remained steadfast in their demand that a deal must be reached to extend expiring ObamaCare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year. They argue that unless Congress acts, Americans who rely on the tax credits will see their healthcare premiums skyrocket.
Both Senate leaders are encouraging talks among rank-and-file members to find a solution, but neither side can agree on when exactly the subsidies should be dealt with.
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN ENTERS 3RD DAY AS SENATE STALEMATE OVER OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES DRAGS ON
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to reporters before a Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 12, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"You need Johnson and you need Trump to get it done," he continued. "So that's the bottom line."
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that "we're talking to the Democrats." When asked if he would work to make a deal with them on ObamaCare subsidies to reopen the government, he said "Yeah."
"I'd like to see a deal made for great healthcare," Trump said. Ii want to see great healthcare, I'm a republican but I want to see healthcare much more so than the Democrats."
Schumer fired back in a statement that Trump's "claim isn’t true — but if he’s finally ready to work with Democrats, we’ll be at the table."
And Fetterman, who has routinely voted against shutting the government down regardless of which party controlled the Senate, recognized that without Trump’s greenlight, a deal would go nowhere.
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He gave the example of a bipartisan border deal negotiated between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate in 2023 that was sidelined under orders from Trump.
"It got tanked. Trump tanked that, and he wasn't the president, and he didn't have to sign that thing," Fetterman said. "So what I'm saying, where’s the leverage? Because ultimately, doesn't he have to sign off on any of it anyway?"
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/schumers-shutdown-holds-senate-dems-block-gop-bid-reopen-government