Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said if Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wants to engage in bipartisan negotiations to prevent the government from shutting down, he knows where to find him.
Schumer "knows where my office is," Thune said to reporters Tuesday. "Why do you guys keep asking me this? I haven't heard from him."
Unless a spending agreement is reached, the government is set to shut down at the end of this month. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have sent letters to Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., but said they have not received a response.
This is the first time since March Thune has said he is willing to meet with Schumer on funding, Politico reported. Republicans need at least seven Democrat votes in the Senate to advance a stopgap bill.
Johnson and Thune "have refused even to sit down at the table … despite repeated requests," Schumer said.
Republicans are hoping they can get Schumer to support their continuing resolution like he did in March, prompting outrage from Democrats.
Schumer has said healthcare must be addressed if Democrats are to support a continuing resolution and has called for extending Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies set to expire. Thune said the subsidies will not be attached to the stopgap bill.
"I think the ACA subsidies will be an issue that will be addressed, but I think right now, we've got to keep the government open, so we can do appropriations bills," Thune told reporters.
Republicans would not unwind the Medicaid cuts included in the "big, beautiful bill," Johnson told reporters, another demand Democrats have made if they are to support keeping the government open.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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