Bipartisan Senate talks to end US government shutdown show positive signs, with temporary funding and long-term bills under negotiation
WASHINGTON: Bipartisan Senate negotiations to end the US government shutdown have taken a positive turn according to Majority Leader John Thune.
The South Dakota Republican confirmed productive talks have occurred within the last 24 hours as the shutdown entered its 39th day.
Lawmakers are working on agreements to temporarily reopen government while advancing three longer-term funding bills for specific agencies.
Saturday’s work session concluded without announced deals or public release of full-year funding legislation.
The Senate will convene a rare Sunday session to continue negotiations.
Republicans and Democrats have been developing a stopgap measure to fund the government through late January.
This would provide additional time to resolve remaining disputes over nine discretionary spending bills.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer meanwhile criticized the Trump administration for withholding SNAP food stamp funding.
Schumer accused Republicans of playing “politics” by reducing airline flights at certain airports during the shutdown.
The Democratic leader also complained that Republicans rejected calls for a one-year extension of expiring health insurance subsidies.
Breaking the legislative logjam will require support from at least eight Democratic senators.
President Donald Trump urged Republicans to redirect Affordable Care Act subsidies toward direct payments to individuals.
“BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The record-long shutdown has affected numerous federal programs and services nationwide.
Approximately 10,000 young children and families have lost access to Head Start early-learning programs.
These programs faced October 1 and November 1 deadlines for federal grant renewals that froze when funding expired.
The shutdown has already sidelined many federal workers and impacted food aid, air travel and national parks. – Reuters
