Senate Republican ‘open’ to conversations about extending ACA subsidies 

Republican Sen. Katie Britt (Ala.) said Sunday she is "open" to conversations on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies amid the government shutdown.

“I'm absolutely open to having [a] conversation, but we're not going to extend a program that is wrought with fraud, waste and abuse,” Britt told Dana Bash on CNN's "State of the Union." “There would have to be adjustments to this program to make it make sense for the American people.”

According to health poli...

When could the shutdown end? Five key dates to watch

The shutdown became one of the three longest in U.S. history on Friday, with lawmakers indicating they believe it will drag on and few signs emerging of progress toward reopening the government.

That isn’t stopping questions about what could force lawmakers toward the negotiating table to figure out a resolution, especially with a number of potential pressure points front and center for lawmakers in the coming weeks. 

Here are some key dates to keep an eye on...

Watch: Senate votes on $852 billion defense spending bill

The Senate voted Thursday afternoon on a massive defense spending bill after Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) threw a curveball into the government funding fight earlier this week.

Thune was effectively daring Democrats to oppose the $852 billion bill as the GOP seeks to shift the narrative from health care to military spending. Republicans and Democrats are also sparring over who's to blame for putting military pay in jeopardy amid the shutdown.

The full-year...

Booker courts red state voters online, urging them to join ‘No Kings’ protests 

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is pressing red state voters to join local “No Kings” protests Saturday and put pressure on their GOP legislators to end the government shutdown through his outreach with social media influencers and creators in Florida and North Carolina. 

The outreach, which was first shared with The Hill, includes interviews with content creators and influencers Sara Wiles in Florida, Sander Jennings in Florida and Kate Barr in North Carolina, whose total follow...

Jeffries on Thune’s ACA vote offer: GOP ‘can’t be trusted on a wing and a prayer’ 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) offer of a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies was not firm enough to move Democrats to end the government shutdown.  

Thune told MSNBC on Wednesday that he was willing to guarantee a vote on ObamaCare subsidy extensions, though he said reforms to the program were needed and he could not assure the outcome of the process. He had made a similar proposal...

Sanders: Marjorie Taylor Greene is a ‘good’ Republican

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday defended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and referred to her as a "good" Republican at a CNN town hall.

The Vermont senator suggested that elected Republicans are "doing less of representing their districts and their states than just swearing allegiance to the president of the United States."

“So I never thought that I would say this, but you have somebody like Marjorie Taylor Greene saying, ‘You know what, I was electe...

GOP seeks to wrest back momentum from Democrats in shutdown fight

Republicans are trying to win back political momentum in the government shutdown fight from Democrats, putting their rivals on the defensive and taking solace from polls showing Americans are starting to shift more blame to Democrats for the funding stalemate.

After struggling through a bad last week that highlighted their divisions on health care, Republicans have showed signs of regrouping.

They’ve forced Democrats to vote twice on a House-passed government fund...

Moulton announces bid for Senate in Massachusetts

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) on Wednesday launched a U.S. Senate bid in Massachusetts, setting up a generational challenge as he looks to unseat incumbent progressive Sen. Ed Markey (D).

Moulton, a moderate 46-year-old veteran, focused on age in his announcement video, saying his party has “clung to the status quo, insisted on using the same old playbook, and isn't fighting hard enough.”

“We're in a crisis, and with everything we learned last election, I just don't...

GOP sets the stage for extended shutdown

Republicans and the Trump administration are bracing for a lengthy government shutdown, taking steps to alleviate any political pain that might boomerang on them while seeking to make life difficult for Democrats.

The White House is taking steps to redistribute funds to ensure the military gets paychecks during the shutdown.

Doing so in this way takes care of a constituency important to the GOP and Trump, but it deprives Democrats of a vote to fund the military.