President Trump on Saturday claimed Democrats were cracking under the pressure of the government shutdown, days after saying the federal closure is at least partly to blame for Republican losses during Tuesday’s elections.
“The Democrats are cracking like dogs on the Shutdown because they are deathly afraid that I am making progress with the Republicans on TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“Whether we make a Deal or not, THE REPUBLICANS MUST ‘BLOW UP’ THE FILIBUSTER, AND APPROVE HUNDREDS OF LONG SOUGHT, BUT NEVER GOTTEN, POLICY WINS LIKE, AS JUST A SMALL EXAMPLE, VOTER ID (IDENTIFICATION),” Trump continued. “Only a LOSER would not agree to doing this!”
Senators will remain in session until they pass a deal to reopen the government, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters on Saturday, the 39th day of the shutdown. The GOP leader previously poured cold water on the president’s constant push for Republicans use the “nuclear option” and bypass the upper chamber’s filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to pass legislation.
On Friday, Republicans swiftly shot down a Democratic proposal to extend enhanced health care subsidies for one year alongside a clean continuing resolution (CR). Thune said on Friday that senators need to get the text of a three-bill package of full-year spending bills, known as a “minibus,” nailed down, with the hope of voting on it over the weekend.
Senate Democrats rejected a proposal Thursday to reopen the government that would have included a stopgap funding bill and three full-year appropriations bills funding military construction, veterans’ affairs, the Department of Agriculture and the legislative branch.
The proposal was crafted by Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Angus King (I-Maine), giving Thune three of the eight Democratic votes needed to approve the House-passed CR and reopen the government.
Democrats have remained firm in arguing that Congress must extend Affordable Health Care (ACA) tax credits that will expire at the end of the year. Republicans, including Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), have said they will negotiate that when the government is open, leading to the prolonged stalemate.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump told Republicans to divert funds from insurance companies and directly pay consumers.
“I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare,” he continued. “Unrelated, we must still terminate the Filibuster!”
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