WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader John Thune quickly swatted down a Democratic offer to reopen the government and extend expiring health care subsidies for a year, calling it a “nonstarter” as the partisan impasse over the shutdown continued into its 38th day.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer made the offer to reopen the government on Friday as Republicans have refused to negotiate on demands to extend health care subsidies. It was a much narrowed version of a broad proposal Democrats laid out a month ago to make the health tax credits permanent and reverse Medicaid cuts that Republicans enacted earlier this year.
Schumer offered Republicans simultaneous votes to end the government shutdown and extend the expiring health care subsidies, along with a bipartisan committee to address Republican demands for changes to the Affordable Care Act.
You think extending the health care subsidies is nothing?
Must be nice to be privileged.
two different votes. One guaranteed to fail, since republicans don’t want it. The entire point of having both on one vote is so republicans have to vote for something they otherwise wouldn’t.
They’re not extending health care subsidies. They’re jettisoning them. With your enthusiastic approval.
They knew holding their ground was popular, so they did it until the election, and now they’re abandoning the people who elected them, brazenly, openly, and with your support.
Must be nice to have two parties that perfectly represent everything you’re about.