Buckle up for the second week of a shutdown staredown, as the Senate tries again to pass a funding stopgap Monday evening.
All sides are showing little sign of budging. Democrats are refusing to open the government without an agreement on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, and they’re digging in despite the Trump administration’s threat of mass layoffs. Republicans aren’t willing to negotiate until the government is open.
Most federal workers will miss their first paycheck Friday if the shutdown isn’t resolved. Another big date to watch is Oct. 15 — the day active duty military may also miss a check.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told members to hammer Democrats on the military pay deadline during a GOP call Saturday, after the House canceled votes this week. President Donald Trump during a Navy anniversary event on Sunday promised to get service members “every last penny.” Look for lawmakers to bat around the possibility of enacting legislation to keep paying troops, but GOP leaders think Democrats will fold before then.
“We might not even be in a shutdown at that point,” said one senior GOP leadership aide.
Congressional leaders aren’t talking, and rank-and-file attempts at bipartisan compromise appear to be sputtering. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told CBS Sunday he has encouraged Democrats to talk to Republicans but “in those conversations, the Republicans offered nothing.”
At the White House, even some of Trump’s most hard-line deputies are starting to accept the political risks of letting ACA credits expire and are preparing proposals, three people granted anonymity to discuss the plans said. One includes grandfathering current beneficiaries and cutting off boosted subsidies for new enrollees.
Democrats are feeling confident. A CBS News poll released Sunday was the latest to show a small Democratic advantage in the shutdown blame game. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told NBC on Sunday that Republicans are “losing in the court of public opinion.”
What else we’re watching:
— On the agenda: Speaker Mike Johnson will have a press conference Monday at 10 a.m. in the Rayburn Room. House Democrats will have a virtual caucus meeting at 6 p.m.
— War powers resolution: A group of senators will force a vote on a war powers resolution as soon as this week, according to a spokesperson for Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The legislation, led by Schiff and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), would require Congress to authorize ongoing military action against cartels following Trump administration strikes on alleged drug traffickers from Venezuela.
— Bondi on the Hill: Attorney General Pam Bondi will testify Tuesday before Senate Judiciary as part of the panel’s oversight of the DOJ. Expect Bondi to be questioned on her handling of matters related to Jeffrey Epstein, the indictment of former FBI director James Comey and the department’s overall posture of prosecuting Trump’s perceived political enemies.
Meredith Lee Hill, Jordain Carney and Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.
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