Government shutdown enters day six with talks over health care at an impasse

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump sent mixed messages Monday about whether he would negotiate a deal with Democrats to extend the enhanced tax credits for people who get their health insurance from the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, one of the main issues that led to the government shutdown.

His comments came shortly before the Senate deadlocked for a fifth time on short-term government funding bills, voting 45-50 on Democrats' proposal and 52-42 on a House-passed Republican stopgap spending bill. Both needed at least 60 votes to advance.

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, both Democrats, as well as Maine independent Sen. Angus King voted with Republicans to advance their multi-week funding bill. Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul voted no.

Trump said during a press conference "some very good things could happen with respect to health care" and that "if we made the right deal, I'd make a deal, sure," before sharply criticizing the 2010 health care law, also called Obamacare.

"That's the problem with Obamacare. The subsidies are so much - billions and billions of dollars is being wasted," Trump said. "And we could have much better health care than we have right now. And we're talking to them. I'm not saying that's going to happen." Trump centered much of his 2016 campaign for the presidency around repealing and replacing the health care law, but Republicans were unable to do so with unified control of government during the first half of his first term.

After Democrats swept in the 2020 elections, they enhanced the tax credits for people who buy their health insurance through the ACA Marketplace in a coronavirus relief law. Those enhanced subsidies are set to expire at the end of December.

Democratic leaders for weeks have called on Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan agreement to extend those enhanced tax credits ahead of open enrollment beginning on Nov. 1.

That didn't happen and Democrats have largely voted against advancing a stopgap spending bill written by Republicans that was needed to fund the government past the end of September.

'On another planet' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said during a floor speech shortly before Trump spoke from the Oval Office that the president and GOP leaders seem "to be on another planet." "Instead of trying to solve this shutdown crisis, Donald Trump spent the weekend golfing and posting memes and deepfakes on the internet," Schumer said. "He seems to think this shutdown is some big joke. He's wrong." Schumer released a statement following Trump's press conference, saying the two sides aren't negotiating, despite the president saying "we are speaking with the Democrats." "For months, Democrats have been calling on Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans to come to the table and work with us to deliver lower costs and better healthcare for the American people," Schumer wrote. "If President Trump and Republicans are finally ready to sit down and get something done on healthcare for American families, Democrats will be there - ready to make it happen." Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said during a morning press conference he will only negotiate with Democrats on the enhanced ACA Marketplace tax credits after the shutdown ends.

But Johnson did indicate he believes the expiring expansion likely needs a resolution before open enrollment begins next month.

"They've been saying that some of the insurance companies will be sending out notices in early November. The last time I checked, it's Oct. 6. We have the entire month of October," Johnson said. "We'll stay here around the clock to work through all these things, but we have to get government open again to do it." Discussion about passing bills The House has been in recess since mid-September and Johnson has refused to bring representatives back until after the Senate approves a bill to reopen the government.

Johnson revealed during the press conference that he had a "fruitful conversation" a few days ago with Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., about the annual government funding process, which lawmakers were supposed to complete by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1.

Johnson said he gave Murray assurances that he would hold floor votes on the final bipartisan versions of the dozen full-year bills after the Democrats and Republicans in charge of each subcommittee worked out an agreement.

"I'm ready to go," Johnson said. "But we've got to open government up so that they can move to that next level, so that the conference committee can get that work done. That is small-d democracy at its best; you get Rs and Ds, everybody in the room, and they hash it out, and whatever that final product is, we will move through the process." The House has passed three of the full-year government funding bills along party-line votes and the Senate has approved three with a broadly bipartisan vote.

Congress' failure to approve all of the bills on time, combined with its inability to approve a stopgap spending bill to keep funding on autopilot while lawmakers work out a final full-year agreement, is why a shutdown began.

Dems say bipartisan talks needed to end shutdown Murray posted later in the day on social media that bipartisan talks between the congressional leaders are the best option to end the shutdown.

"I'll reiterate now what I told@SpeakerJohnson: the only path forward begins with him & @LeaderJohnThune talking with Leaders Schumer & Jeffries," Murray wrote. "Premium hikes are going out THIS MONTH. We need a deal that reopens the government & stops premiums from doubling." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during an afternoon briefing before Trump spoke that he "is definitely committed to fixing and improving our health care system," though she declined to say if he supports extending the enhanced ACA tax credits as they exist.

Leavitt also opted not to fully answer questions about when the administration will begin laying off federal workers by the thousands, saying the White House budget office continues to consult with Cabinet secretaries to determine which workers may lose their jobs.

"We'll see how the vote goes tonight," Leavitt said, referring to the Senate's Monday evening vote on the stopgap spending bills.

Rural air service, air traffic controllers Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey that the shutdown means there are only a few days left of funding for the Essential Air Service program, which provides federal "subsidies to airlines to service" rural communities.

"That money runs out this Sunday, so there are many small communities across the country that will now no longer have the resources to make sure they have air service in their community," Duffy said.

Alaska will be the most affected by that particular funding lapse, he said.

Duffy said there has been a "slight" increase in the number of air traffic controllers calling out sick during the shutdown but added it hadn't caused any safety challenges yet. That will all change if transportation officials feel the staffing isn't adequate for the number of flights.

"If we see there are issues in the tower that are affecting the controllers' ability to effectively control the airspace, we'll reduce the rate and you'll see more delays or you might see a cancellation," Duffy said. "I'm willing to do that before we're willing to risk anyone's life in the air." Duffy, a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, said he had spoken earlier in the day with air traffic controllers who were thinking about taking on jobs at ride-sharing companies to pay the bills, since they will not be paid until after the shutdown ends.

He said the effects of the funding lapse, including air traffic controllers worrying how they'll make ends meet, are problematic, especially if they're distracted by it while on shift or exhausted from working other jobs.

"I don't want them finding a second job to pay the bills," Duffy said. "I want them to get paid for the work they're doing today, keeping our planes in the air and our skies safe." Duffy also reiterated the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, which screens people entering airports, is housed within the Department of Homeland Security, not DOT.

Shauneen Miranda contributed to this report.

This article is printed with permission under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 and was published on October 6, 2025 at www.alaskabeacon.com