Overview
- On day 35, Congress matched the longest shutdown on record as Senate leaders discussed replacing the House’s Nov. 21 funding date with a new stopgap likely running into December or January.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he is optimistic a path to reopen government could emerge this week, a view echoed cautiously by spending chair Susan Collins as quiet bipartisan talks continued.
- Democrats remain split over whether to back a reopening without firm commitments on extending expiring Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, the central dispute that has blocked 13 prior Senate votes.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture told a federal court it will use contingency funds to deliver roughly 50% of normal SNAP benefits for November, with possible delays for some states.
- A small group of House centrists unveiled a framework to extend enhanced ACA tax credits for two years with guardrails, though it is unclear whether such a plan could win Senate support.