Senate Republicans are intensifying pressure on five Democrat senators they believe could defect and help end the government shutdown, as partisan gridlock over healthcare subsidies continues to keep Washington at a standstill, The Hill reported.
The GOP needs eight Democrat votes to advance the House-passed clean continuing resolution, and three Democrats have already crossed party lines. However, despite repeated votes, Republicans remain five votes shy of the mark, and negotiations over the Democrats' attempt to reverse GOP legislation remain frozen.
"At some point, they've got to take 'yes' for an answer," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Friday.
Republicans view Sen. Gary Peters as one of their most likely targets.
The retiring Michigan Democrat faces no electoral consequences and has shown openness to compromise. He has pushed for assurances on ACA tax credits, which expire at the end of the year, and participated in recent talks aimed at resolving the shutdown.
Still, he acknowledged deep obstacles.
"Trust is a problem, and we'll have to deal with that and try to build trust in the process and create a framework that allows people to be confident that agreements that are made will actually be kept," Peters said Wednesday.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., also retiring, has repeatedly voted against the House bill but remains a key player in possible subsidy negotiations. She warned that failure to extend ACA premium tax credits would result in soaring insurance rates.
"I think this is an opportunity for us to talk to each other," Shaheen told Fox News. "There's urgency about this because we know that if we don't address the premium tax credits … they're going to see their rates double by November."
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., is another potential swing vote.
Like Shaheen, she supported a prior stopgap bill in March and has stressed the need for bipartisan solutions. "We need a bipartisan path forward in order to get to a deal that protects people's health, healthcare, and prevents their premiums from doubling," Hassan told CNN.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., presents a different challenge. Facing a tough reelection fight in 2026, Ossoff has criticized the White House's role in the standoff.
"The president needs to be in the room right now with congressional leaders," Ossoff told Punchbowl News. "They have the White House, they have the Senate, they have the House. This is a question of presidential leadership."
Republicans have seized on his votes against the funding measure, accusing him of betraying veterans by prolonging the shutdown.
The steepest climb for Republicans may be Sen. Dick Durbin, the retiring Illinois Democrat and longtime party leader. While Durbin also supported the March funding measure, he has firmly backed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in rejecting the GOP's plan.
"I'm going to continue to vote against the CR because I think the ACA is critical, healthcare is a critical issue," Durbin told reporters Friday. "What troubles me is that the initial dialogue with the Republicans on the floor doesn't seem to have blossomed into anything meaningful. I hope it does."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.