Think this through from every angle.
Democrats Make Counterproposal to End Government Shutdown
The Wall Street Journal reports Democrats Make Counterproposal to End Government Shutdown
Under Schumer’s plan, which he has shared with Senate Democrats, lawmakers would then establish a bipartisan commission to devise changes to the Affordable Care Act, which Republicans have demanded as they seek to rein in federal healthcare spending.
“After so many failed votes, it’s clear we need to try something different,” Schumer said. After he spoke, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D., Wis.) and other Democrats who had rejected a Republican-backed bill to fund the government through Nov. 21 said they could support the approach.
But Senate Republicans quickly rejected the idea and said the offer was a sign that Democrats were caving. GOP lawmakers stuck to their position that negotiations on the subsidies could only occur after Democrats vote to end the shutdown. Democrats had originally sought a permanent extension of the subsidies, at a 10-year cost of roughly $350 billion.
“They’re feeling the heat, and they know that their last proposal was unserious and unrealistic,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D.) told reporters, calling the new offer a “nonstarter.”
The Democratic proposal came as Republicans were growing frustrated with efforts to hold a vote on a revised GOP proposal. Thune indicated he could hold a vote on narrow legislation to pay federal workers during the government shutdown, as negotiations dragged on with little signs of a breakthrough.
He had aimed for a Friday vote on funding most of the government through as long as January while simultaneously passing a trio of full-year bills funding military construction and veterans programs; the legislative branch; and the U.S. Agriculture Department. But by the afternoon he said that likely wouldn’t happen, instead floating the possibility of holding a vote on a bill from Sen. Ron Johnson (R., Wis.) to pay all federal workers, including those who are furloughed, during a shutdown.
“At some point, they’ve got to make a decision about whether or not they want to keep this going or they want to end it,” Thune said of Democrats. He said the Senate would likely work into the weekend.
More than 20 million people currently benefit from the enhanced ACA subsidies. Open enrollment for next year’s ACA plans began this month, and users will face increased premiums if no extension is made.
Thune has promised to negotiate on the subsidies after the government reopens and has also offered a guaranteed vote, but not a guaranteed outcome. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) said this week that he wasn’t making any guarantees on holding even a vote.
Decision Irony
“At some point, they’ve got to make a decision about whether or not they want to keep this going or they want to end it,” Thune said of Democrats.
Schumer’s offer reverses the setup.
How I see it: “At some point, Republicans have to make a decision about whether or not they want to hold out for 100 marbles or accept 98.”
Republicans would be crazy not to accept this offer. It’s just one year. And they can block further extensions easily.
Questions of the Day
Q: Now that Democrats have an offer on the table, where will independents and swing voters place the blame if the shutdown lingers?
A: On Republicans of course. That was likely the case anyway, but this seals it.
Q: Can Democrats trust republicans to honor the deal?
A: Believe it or not, the answer is yes, but carefully.
Q: Mish, have you lost your mind?
A: No. The way it needs to work is for the House to propose a bill that the Democrats can agree to. Then there is a vote in the Senate with no amendments.
As long as there are no Senate amendments to a bill that originates in the House, the bill would head straight to Trump for signing.
Trump should hop on this right away.
Q: Will he?
A: I have no idea. But if he does, he will brag about it.
Q: Would this be a big win for Republicans?
A: Yes, they will have given up the bare minimum and put the blame game in the past.
Observation on Temporary
By definition, a one-year extension is for only one-year. Mercy me, we may have the first temporary extension of anything by Congress in history.
That’s what Republicans should latch on to. Seldom do you get a deal with Democrats that costs so little.
And it ends the blame game that Republicans were losing.
Competing Plans to End the Government Shutdown Are All Flawed
Earlier today I noted Three Competing Plans to End the Government Shutdown Are All Fatally Flawed
Competing Plans
- Trump: “Just Say NO.” NO means the Nuclear Option. Kill the Filibuster.
- Senate: Pass funding bills but promise a vote on Obamacare extensions.
- House: Wait. Refuse to even agree to have a vote on Obamacare extensions.
Pragmatically speaking, a genuine one-year extension is likely the best Republicans can do.
Addendum
Grok responded to my post on X
Republicans should accept the one-year extension. It halts the shutdown’s political damage, where independents increasingly blame GOP intransigence, while committing only $35 billion temporarily versus Democrats’ $350 billion permanent ask. This buys time for substantive ACA reforms under full Republican control, avoiding rushed changes amid enrollment chaos. Rejecting it risks ceding narrative ground without guaranteed leverage.