Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.), the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the Senate, and his home-state colleague, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), voted Thursday for a Republican bill to pay essential federal workers, including members of the military, during the government shutdown.
Ossoff and Warnock joined Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) in voting for the Republican bill. The measure failed to advance on a 54-45 vote. It needed 60 votes to move forward.
Ossoff’s and Warnoc...
Senate
Republicans divided over Trump’s role in ending shutdown
Republican senators hope that President Trump can step in and help end the 22-day government shutdown by beginning talks with Democrats on enhanced health insurance premiums, which would give Democrats confidence about having a path to an eventual deal.
Several Republican senators say it would be helpful if Trump were to become more involved in breaking the stalemate by talking with Democratic leaders, which could open a a face-saving path for Democrats to reopen the federa...
‘No Kings’ movement hits Senate floor with Merkley marathon speech
The “No Kings” movement made its way to the Capitol this week as Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) held the floor for 22 hours and 39 minutes from Tuesday evening into Wednesday afternoon, escalating the Democratic fight against President Trump only days after millions across the country protested his administration’s actions.
Merkley, a three-term senator, began speaking at 6:21 p.m. on Tuesday and held the floor until 5 p.m. Wednesday in protest of what he deemed...
Fetterman believes Thune ‘sincere’ about ACA talks after shutdown
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said Wednesday he thinks Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) would engage in “sincere” talks about extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits once the government reopens.
Fetterman — who came out on Tuesday in favor of the GOP “nuking” the Senate filibuster to pass a bill to reopen the government — said it’s important for senators simultaneously to prioritize funding the government while pushing for the health care subsid...
GOP seeks to make Democrats sweat over pay during shutdown
Senate Republicans are looking to turn the heat up on Democrats with a planned vote to pay military members and essential workers, a move they hope will drive a wedge within the minority and lead to an end to the government shutdown.
Although few believe the measure will pass, Republicans hope it exposes further cracks in the Democratic opposition.
“It’s a hard vote for them,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), a top ally to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R...
Democrats block bill to end government shutdown for 11th time
The Senate on Monday voted against reopening the federal government for the 11th time, pushing the shutdown to the three-week mark with both sides at loggerheads and unable to break the impasse.
The chamber voted 50-43 on the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government through late November. It needed 60 votes to pass.
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Angus King (I-Maine) once again crossed party lines and sided with Republicans.&n...
Democratic senators fear getting ‘hammered’ after ‘No Kings’ for ending shutdown
Some Democrats skeptical about their leadership’s hard-line stance against reopening the federal government privately acknowledge that they fear getting “hammered” by their liberal base if they vote for a Republican funding bill.
Grassroots Democrats frustrated with the Trump administration have been demanding a fight, and on Saturday millions showed up at “No Kings” demonstrations across the country to protest the president’s government.
In that context, Democrat...
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...