Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Newsmax on Tuesday that President Donald Trump and Republicans remain open to negotiations on Democrats' healthcare priorities, but only after the partial government shutdown has ended.
On "American Agenda," Lankford said the president has been clear that discussions on healthcare reforms won't happen while federal operations remain halted.
"The president came on and said he's willing to be able to talk about it after the government's open," Lankford said. "Any conversations about how we fix healthcare have to be after the government is open."
Lankford criticized Democrats for continuing to demand greater credits for plans under the Affordable Care Act, which he said has failed to live up to its name.
"They're asking for more and more subsidies every year," he said. "You wrote a bill literally called the affordable healthcare bill, and you're proving every single year that it is not affordable."
The current funding impasse, now stretching into its third week, began when Senate Democrats rejected a continuing resolution to keep agencies operating. Democrats have sought to link any new spending deal to expanded federal subsidies for healthcare premiums, a proposal the White House has rejected as fiscally irresponsible.
Lankford said Republicans are open to addressing healthcare costs in the future but will not agree to what he called "another round of government handouts." He added that long-term reforms, not short-term subsidies, are needed to reduce costs.
He also addressed Trump's recent comments on possible federal layoffs if the shutdown drags on. Lankford said Trump was acknowledging "the reality" that some positions might not return.
"About 150,000 people in the federal workforce have already left," Lankford said, referring to a round of early retirements that ended Sept. 30. "If individuals are listed as nonessential, that may be something we look at long term and say if they're not essential during the shutdown, maybe they're just nonessential long term as well."
As the standoff continues, Lankford said he hopes both sides can "get government back open" so broader policy talks, including on healthcare, can move forward.
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