Washington- Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, said Sunday that lawmakers could resolve the shutdown impasse and reopen the government as soon as this week, urging Republicans to come to the negotiating table over health care subsidies.
“We should be able to wrap it up this week, if they’ll sit down and negotiate with us,” Kelly said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama urged Democrats to “do the right thing” and reopen the government first.
Democrats and Republicans remain entrenched on day 19 of the government shutdown, which has become the third longest funding gap in modern history. Last week, efforts to advance a House-passed measure to fund the government fell short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate for the 10th time, as Republicans sought to withdraw support from Democrats. But they have failed to gain additional support since the lockdown began, with most Democrats demanding an extension of expiring health insurance tax credits as a condition of reopening the government.
Republicans in Congress insisted there was nothing to negotiate while Democrats sought to sit down with GOP leaders and the president. Still, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said last week that he told Democrats he was willing to guarantee a vote on the tax credits, even if he couldn’t guarantee an outcome. And in an article published on Friday, the South Dakota Republican added that he was willing to sit down with Democrats on the issue of health care, but only on the condition that the shutdown ends.
Kelly reiterated the Democrats’ position on Sunday, saying, “we want negotiations.”
“What we need to do is address this skyrocketing premiums — they’re going to go up on November 1 for people,” the Arizona Democrat said, referring to a expected rise in health insurance premiums if Congress does not extend a series of enhanced tax credits. “What we need to do is solve this health premium problem and open up the government.”
Although there have been discussions among lawmakers about how to reopen the government, congressional leaders have not met since the shutdown began, most recently on September 29 for a meeting with President Trump at the White House.
“The president spent an hour negotiating this issue with congressional leaders. That’s it, one hour,” Kelly said. “They need to get in the room and stay in a room until we can resolve this issue. The president has said he wants to resolve this bounty issue, and he wants the government to be open. That’s what we want.”
Senator Britt: Democrats must ‘do the right thing’
Britt, who also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, said, “Democrats need to come to the table and do the right thing.”
“A lot of people are affected by the political policies of the Democrats, and they actually have to do what’s right, and that’s a job for the American people,” Britt said. “And so opening the government is the priority.”
Regarding the expansion of health insurance tax credits, Britt reiterated that Republicans are willing to discuss the issue, but only once the government reopens.
“We think you can walk and chew gum at the same time. Democrats, for some reason, don’t think that’s possible,” Britt said. “They need to come to the table, open up government, and then we’ll be happy to have a conversation about the broken system they’ve created and help them get out of their own mess.”
Britt said it’s “absolutely totally ridiculous to sit here and say we’re afraid people won’t be able to afford their health care, but at the same time we’re going to deny them their paychecks.”
“Those two things don’t add up, and Democrats need to be honest about that and bring back open government,” she added.
