Senate

GOP senator: ObamaCare messaging ‘very challenging,’ polls ‘asking the wrong questions’

Affordable Care Act, health care, News, obamacare, Senate

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said Democrats are taking Republicans "hostage" with their demands to extend ObamaCare tax credits, but he conceded that winning the public relations battle over the issue was "very challenging."

Speaking Tuesday at The Hill's "Health Next Summit," Marshall, a medical doctor, said he did not believe the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies passed during the COVID-19 pandemic were the "real issue" preventing Democrats from reaching a deal to end t...

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Schumer: ‘Greene is absolutely right’ on health care demands

Affordable Care Act, health care, health insurance, News, Senate

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) touted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) call to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, as he doubled down on his opposition to funding the government without addressing the expiring tax credits.

In remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, the Democratic leader read aloud from part of a social media post in which Greene said she’s “absolutely disgusted” that health insurance premiums could double if the ACA subsidies e...

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Sanders: Trump may be ‘crazy’ and ‘lie all of the time,’ but ‘he’s a good politician’

News, Senate

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), while maintaining past criticisms voiced about President Trump, has praised the commander in chief's political prowess.

"It is clear that this shutdown has got to end as soon as possible," Sanders said on CNN's "The Source with Kaitlan Collins" on Monday. "But what‘s also clear is that Trump now understands that he has to finally deal with the health care crisis that his legislation, the big beautiful bill, has caused."

"Trump may be c...

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Jon Stewart rips Schumer over joke: ‘What the f‑‑‑ are you doing?’

News, Senate

Comedian Jon Stewart ripped Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday over a flat joke.

Stewart played a clip of Schumer’s remarks during "The Daily Show," in which the lawmaker said, “Democrats are adamant that we must protect the health care of the American people.”

The comedian chimed in, “If you had stopped there, that would be great. But you’re going to keep talking, aren’t you?”

The recording of Schumer continued with footage of him n...

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Senate frustrations rise as shutdown starts feeling like ‘Groundhog Day’

News, Senate

The government shutdown is turning into “Groundhog Day” for senators as they grow increasingly frustrated with the lack of movement toward a deal and repeated failed votes.

The Senate on Monday voted on the GOP’s “clean” stopgap funding bill and on a Democratic alternative, with both again failing to advance. Absent a substantial change in posture on either side, the upper chamber is expected to vote on the same continuing resolutions (CR) on Tuesday and Thursday.

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Trump calls on Democrats to reopen government, will then work on health care

health care, News, Senate

President Trump on Monday called on Democrats to reopen the government, saying he will only discuss a potential deal on extending health care tax credits once they support the GOP funding proposal.

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump appeared to shift from his earlier comments on Monday, when he signaled he was open to a deal with Democrats on health care, an issue at the core of the shutdown debate.

“Democrats have SHUT DOWN the United States Government right i...

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Senate rejects dueling government funding bills on Day 6 of shutdown

News, Senate

The Senate on Monday pushed the government shutdown to the one-week mark as Democrats blocked the GOP's "clean" stopgap funding bill from advancing for a fifth time.

Senators voted 52-42 on the House-passed bill, which needed 60 votes to advance and would have funded the government at Biden-era spending levels until late November. The tally has remained virtually unchanged, other than absences, since the shutdown started last Wednesday.

The trio of Sens. Catherine...

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Schiff on shutdown: ‘We need a president who can act like an adult’

News, Senate, Trump administration

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) went after President Trump over the government shutdown, saying Sunday that the U.S. requires “a president who can act like an adult.”

“How confident are you that Democrats will stay united in this fight?” NBC News’s Kristen Welker asked Schiff on “Meet the Press” about the shutdown.

“I'm confident all Democrats understand that millions and millions of their constituents are about to be priced out of their health care. I was in Californ...

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Republicans ‘going to cave’ on Democrats’ health care demand: Marc Short

News, Senate

Marc Short predicted in an interview on Sunday that Republicans will fold under pressure from Democrats to extend ObamaCare subsidies to end the government shutdown.

“I think, sadly, Republicans are going to cave on this in the end. The bottom line is that Democrats were really shrewd when they put the ObamaCare subsidies in the plan,” Short, who served as former Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, said on NBC News’s "Meet the Press."

"It bought off insura...

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More disapprove of how GOP, Trump are handling shutdown than Democrats: Survey

News, Senate

Most Americans, regardless of party lines, disapprove of the handling of the government shutdown, which is now in its sixth day. 

But President Trump and Republicans fare worse on how the shutdown is being handled, with 52 percent of people surveyed disapproving. Democrats trail, with a 49 percent disapproval rating, according to CBS News polling. 

Among those polled, 39 percent blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, while 30 percent blame De...

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