Overview
- Senators convened for a rare Saturday session but left without votes or an agreement, leaving the record shutdown at roughly 39 days.
- Chuck Schumer’s plan to pair a clean funding bill with a one-year ACA subsidy extension was immediately labeled a nonstarter by John Thune and Senate Republicans.
- A small group of moderates led by Jeanne Shaheen is exploring a narrower path that would reopen parts of government with only a promise of a later health-care vote.
- President Donald Trump urged redirecting ACA subsidy dollars directly to individuals and called for ending the filibuster, moves GOP leaders have not adopted.
- Operational fallout deepened as unpaid federal workers, airline cancellations, and delayed SNAP benefits persisted, with Republicans still needing Democratic votes to reach the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.