Former Vice President Kamala Harris said her onetime boss, former President Joe Biden, made a ‘big mistake’ by not inviting Tesla CEO Elon Musk to a 2021 White House event on electric vehicles. 

In August 2021, Biden hosted an EV event at the White House with executives from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, but Musk was not invited, despite Tesla being the nation’s leading EV manufacturer. 

‘I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,’ Harris told Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell on Tuesday at the news outlet’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington, D.C., referring to her memoir, ‘107 Days,’ in which she criticized Biden for initially running for re-election despite his health struggles.

‘I mean, here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space,’ Harris said of Musk, who is also the CEO of SpaceX.

Musk’s snub was widely viewed as an effort to support the United Auto Workers and organized labor overall, since Tesla plants are not unionized. Harris wrote in her book that she believed Biden was ‘sending a message about Musk’s anti-union stance’ but that she thought excluding him as the top player in the field ‘simply doesn’t make sense.’

Then–White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the event featured ‘the three largest employers of the United Auto Workers,’ emphasizing that Tesla’s workers are not unionized.

Pressed on whether Musk’s snub was punishment for his workers not being unionized, Psaki told reporters: ‘I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.’

The Biden administration defended inviting only those automakers, calling them key partners in the president’s push for union jobs.

Harris said that presidents should ‘put aside political loyalties’ when it comes to recognizing technological innovation.

‘So, I thought that was a mistake, and I don’t know Elon Musk, but I have to assume that that was something that hit him hard and had an impact on his perspective,’ she said.

Musk did appear to take offense after he was not invited to the event, taking numerous jabs at Biden.

‘Yeah, seems odd that Tesla wasn’t invited,’ Musk wrote at the time on social media.

A month later, he said the Biden administration appeared to be ‘controlled by unions’ and was ‘not the friendliest administration.’

After Musk learned Tesla would not be invited, administration officials offered an apology, according to The Wall Street Journal. Biden aides later attempted to soothe things over, but tensions remained.

Harris’ comments on Tuesday mirrored a passage from her new book in which she wrote that the Biden administration’s move not to include Tesla was a mistake and that it appeared to alienate Musk, who later became one of current President Donald Trump’s top financial backers.

‘Musk never forgave it,’ she wrote.

Musk later endorsed Trump in the 2024 election and contributed roughly $300 million toward Republican campaign efforts. 

The U.S. Department of State on Saturday warned there are ‘credible reports’ that Hamas may break the peace agreement with a ‘planned attack’ on Palestinian civilians. 

‘This planned attack against Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts,’ the department said in a statement on social media. ‘The guarantors demand Hamas uphold its obligations under the ceasefire terms.’

The statement concluded, ‘The United States and the other guarantors remain resolute in our commitment to ensuring the safety of civilians, maintaining calm on the ground, and advancing peace and prosperity for the people of Gaza and the region as a whole.’

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect last weekend after two years of war in the region following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel. 

On Monday, the 20 remaining surviving Israeli hostages were returned to Israel per the agreement, but more than a dozen remains of hostages who were killed are still under Hamas control. 

The State Department added that ‘measures will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire’ if Hamas proceeds with the attack. 

On Thursday, President Donald Trump issued a warning on Truth Social after footage circulated online showing Hamas fighters executing Palestinians in Gaza City’s main square. 

‘If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,’ he wrote.

According to Reuters, at least 33 people were executed by Hamas in recent days in what officials described as a campaign to ‘show strength’ after the ceasefire. Israeli sources say most of those killed belonged to families accused of collaborating with Israel or supporting rival militias.

Trump later clarified that U.S. troops would not go into Gaza. 

‘It’s not going to be us,’ he told reporters. ‘We won’t have to. There are people very close, very nearby that will go in and they’ll do the trick very easily, but under our auspices.’

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump recently awarded late Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom just over one month after the activist was assassinated. Kirk was outspoken about his conservative and pro-life views, and his legacy has inspired a new wave of activism.

Shawn Carney, the president and CEO of 40 Days for Life, praised President Donald Trump as ‘the most pro-life president we’ve ever had,’ telling Fox News Digital that pro-life Americans were delighted to see the president honor Kirk.

‘It was so beautiful to see him honor Charlie,’ Carney said. ‘He represented freedom, and there would be no pro-life movement without free speech. Free speech is what 40 Days for Life is built on, it’s what the pro-Life dialogue is built upon. It’s [what] Charlie gave his life for, and it was really, really beautiful for all pro-life Americans to see him honored with the highest honor we have in our nation.’

Kirk was known for participating in debates across the country and the globe, often confronting his harshest critics. Carney believes that Kirk’s willingness to go into tough arenas as well as his approachable and ‘authentic’ nature drew young people to him and the pro-life movement.

‘Charlie was open and was honest, and he was also humble and willing to talk to you,’ Carney told Fox News Digital, adding that being approachable, as Kirk was, is crucial in pro-life activism.

‘So many people have been hurt by abortion. So many people feel strongly in support of reproductive rights. And you just can’t go in and yell or say you’re going to burn in hell. You have to approachable, you have to use reason, you can’t be afraid to share your faith, as Charlie wasn’t,’ he added.

Carney said that 40 Days for Life has seen an uptick in interest, particularly among young activists, in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.

‘His tragic assassination was just two weeks before we kicked off one of our largest fall 40 Days for Life campaigns around the world,’ Carney said. ‘Over 700 cities participating, and we saw a huge uptick, a 36% increase in participation. We had so many young people come out… who knew who Charlie Kirk was, and were inspired by him to participate in 40 Days for Life, who then brought their parents out to pray at our vigils.’

He recalled one young woman — who he did not name — who said she was ‘so afraid’ to participate in pro-life activism prior to Kirk’s death. Carney noted that despite the ‘horrible images’ of the assassination, many felt empowered and compelled to speak up about their beliefs.

‘You thought the opposite would happen, that she’d be more afraid and others would be more afraid, but that didn’t happen,’ he said. ‘It literally inspired her to overcome years of fear.’

Carney also spoke about a TPUSA chapter leader whose mother tried to talk her son out of participating in either TPUSA or 40 Days for Life. The young man apparently told his mother that Charlie would have wanted him to speak out and not to run from culture wars.

When asked what Kirk’s message to pro-life activists would be if he were still alive, Carney said it would be to not give up. Carney added that he has heard newcomers inspired by Kirk say they believe that the TPUSA founder would want them to be outspoken and not to ‘cower.’

‘Right now in our culture, there’s a lot of reasons to be afraid, we can’t give in to them, we have to go out, we have to speak the truth and love, and that is what changes hearts and minds, and that’s the best way we can honor Charlie,’ Carney told Fox News Digital.

President Donald Trump kicked off the week with a major breakthrough brokering a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, and closed out the week seeking to make progress on the next global conflict: Ukraine. 

Trump met with Israeli lawmakers in the Knesset on Monday, before heading to Egypt where he met with leaders there as well as Qatar, Turkey and other regional powers. The president urged countries in the region to ‘put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us.’

‘At long last, we have peace in the Middle East, and it’s a very simple expression, peace in the Middle East,’ Trump told reporters in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

‘We’ve heard it for many years, but nobody thought it could ever get there. And now we’re there,’ Trump said. 

The peace deal in the Middle East includes a provision to return the hostages that were still in captivity within 72 hours of Hamas signing off on the deal. It also called for Israeli forces to withdraw its troops and a complete disarmament of Hamas.

Now, Trump has said that he will set his sights on resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Friday at the White House. 

While Trump said that there is momentum to solve the conflict on the heels of the peace deal in the Middle East, there is ‘tremendous bad blood’ between Putin and Zelenskyy that is stalling a resolution. 

‘They have tremendous bad blood,’ Trump told reporters. ‘It’s really is what is holding up I think a settlement. I think we are going to get it done, and we have to make it long-lasting, as I said in the Middle East, everlasting.’ 

‘The Middle East is a much more complicated situation. You know, we had 59 countries involved, and every one of them agreed. And it’s, you know, it’s sort of amazing. Most people didn’t think that was doable. This is going to be something I really believe that’s going to get done. I had a very good talk yesterday with President Putin. I think he wants to get it done,’ Trump said. 

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said that Trump has a big opportunity to make headway on mediating an end to the conflict. 

‘President Trump has really showed for the world that he can manage a ceasefire in the Middle East. And that’s why I hope that he will do this. And we will also have such big success. For Ukraine, it’s a big chance, and I hope that President Trump can manage it,’ Zelenskyy said Friday. 

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a new investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running ‘Full Self-Driving’ (FSD). Officials say the system may be breaking traffic laws, and worse, causing accidents. According to Reuters, 58 reports describe Teslas blowing through red lights, drifting into the wrong lanes and even crashing at intersections. Fourteen of those cases involved actual crashes, and 23 caused injuries.

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Red lights, train tracks and trouble ahead

In one striking pattern, six Tesla vehicles reportedly ran red lights before colliding with other cars. One driver in Houston complained that FSD ‘is not recognizing traffic signals,’ saying the car stopped at green lights but ran through reds. The driver even said Tesla saw the issue firsthand during a test drive, but refused to fix it. The agency is also reviewing new reports that some Teslas using FSD failed to handle railroad crossings safely, with one case involving a near-collision with an oncoming train.

Mounting legal and safety scrutiny

This is far from Tesla’s first brush with regulators. The company is already facing several investigations tied to both its Autopilot and FSD systems. In one high-profile case, a California jury ordered Tesla to pay $329 million after an Autopilot-related crash killed a woman. Another investigation is looking into Tesla’s limited Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, where passengers reported erratic driving and speeding — even with human safety drivers onboard. Meanwhile, Tesla is still fighting a false advertising lawsuit from California’s DMV. Regulators say calling the software ‘Full Self-Driving’ is misleading since it requires constant driver supervision. Tesla recently changed the name to ‘Full Self-Driving (Supervised)’ to reflect that reality.

Regulators say more crashes may come

Tesla’s latest FSD software update arrived just days before the investigation began. But the NHTSA says the system has already ‘induced vehicle behavior that violated traffic safety laws.’ This investigation, now in its early stages, could lead to a recall if the agency finds Tesla’s self-driving software poses a safety risk.

What this means for you

If you drive a Tesla with FSD enabled, stay alert. The system isn’t fully autonomous, no matter what the name suggests. You should:

• Keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.
• Manually override the system when approaching intersections, crosswalks or railroad tracks.
• Check for Tesla software updates regularly — they may include critical safety fixes.
• Report any unsafe FSD behavior to NHTSA.

For everyone else, this investigation is a reminder that ‘self-driving’ still means supervised driving.

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Tesla’s dream of a fully autonomous future keeps hitting speed bumps. With safety regulators circling and lawsuits piling up, the company’s next moves will shape public trust in AI-driven transportation. Still, the push toward automation isn’t slowing down; it’s just under heavier watch.

How much control would you give an AI behind the wheel? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Tomahawks, Tomahawks, Tomahawks. That’s the word buzzing in the ears of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as President Donald Trump weighs providing America’s precision strike missile of choice to Ukraine.   

Since May, Trump has bombed the Houthis in Yemen, obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities and hit narco-terrorist drug boats in the Caribbean.  Putin has to realize that Tomahawks could soon be in the skies over Russia.

What can Ukraine hit with the 1000-mile range Tomahawks? Start with the Shahed drone factory in Tatarstan, and at least 67 Russian airbases. Tomahawks in Ukraine’s hands rip open Russian energy infrastructure to precision attack with no warning.

If Ukraine launches Tomahawks, they’ll be flying as low as 100 feet, hugging the terrain, evading radar. TLAMs can each take separate routes at 500 mph then meet up over the Russian target for a coordinated strike.

Trump is baiting Putin. ‘Hopefully, they won’t need it,’ Trump said of the Tomahawks at Friday’s lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Trump said he’d like to ‘get the war over without Tomahawks’ but then went on to describe the missiles as ‘very dangerous’ and ‘incredible.’

Here’s the backstory on the Tomahawks, and why Trump is keeping them on the table to pressure Putin.  

Built for the Russian target set

First tested in 1972, the Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missile or TLAM was actually developed by the U.S. Navy during the Cold War to attack targets on land in the Soviet Union. In case you haven’t seen one up close, the Tomahawk is 20 feet long but just 21 inches wide.  It looks like a white pole with wiglets, but inside is a powerful turbo-fan engine and sophisticated guidance. Today’s Block IV Tomahawks can be retargeted in flight, and loiter over a target for hours, taking electro-optical scans and waiting for other missiles to arrive before detonating. They carry a unitary warhead for harder targets, or dispense cluster munitions over a wide pattern to hit airfields, for example. (Yes, there was once a nuclear TLAM variant with a 200 Kiloton warhead, but they were placed in storage in 1991 and eliminated in 2010.) 

Air Defense Nightmare 

The presence of Tomahawks in Ukraine will set up an almost insoluble air defense problem for Putin. No way can Russia place air defenses at every remote gas pipeline point or cover all the airbases where planes park out in the open.  

Fast delivery

TLAMs could be in Ukraine in 24 hours. The Army Mid-Range Capability missile system is a tractor-trailer missile launcher that can be driven onto a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane. The Army deployed TLAM launcher 8,000 miles away to North Luzon in the Philippines in under 15 hours last year for a wargame. Trump has plenty of time.  

Deterring Putin. The brutal escalation of mass attacks by Russia led Ukraine to ramp up its drone strikes on Russian energy starting in August. According to a Reuters study, Ukraine’s drones have hit 18 pumping stations, plus 32 strikes on refineries. Ukraine’s Liutyi drones have a range of about 600 miles and carry warheads of about 50 pounds. Mixing in TLAMs would intensify pressure on Russian energy, Putin’s single biggest source of government revenue. Zelenskyy has called Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian energy ‘the sanctions that work the fastest.’

Don’t worry about depleting TLAM inventory

The U.S. still has about 4,000 Tomahawks in its inventory, and new missiles like the U.S. Navy’s SM-6 are already in action. The U.S. Army deployed its new Dark Eagle long-range hypersonic weapons to Australia in August and will have its first full battery by December. By the way, last year Japan bought 400 Tomahawks for targeting China and North Korea.  

Combat Record

Tomahawks have piled up an incredible combat record since Jan. 17, 1991, when 122 TLAMs hit Iraqi oil and command and control targets at the start of Operation Desert Storm. Eight-hundred TLAMs were fired in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. Over the years, Tomahawks have hit targets in Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and, of course, Iran. On June 22, TLAMs hit above-ground ‘key surface infrastructure targets’ in the nuclear complex at Isfhahan, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. The TLAM strikes left the sprawling site visibly damaged and blackened. ‘We gave it a capper with 30 TLAMS,’ as Trump said Friday. 

Putin may yell and scream about Tomahawks for Ukraine. Pay no attention. He’s grumbled about each weapon system, from F-16s to Patriots. And no, Putin does not dare escalate with nuclear weapons in Ukraine, because the wind patterns blow radiation clouds back into Russia.  

As Trump said Friday: ‘Yeah, its escalation. But we’re going to talk about it anyway.’  

Israel announced Saturday that the latest remains handed over by Hamas via the Red Cross were that of a deceased hostage.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identified the deceased hostage as Eliyahu Margalit, known by many as ‘Churchill,’ who was murdered during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. It also underscored that ‘Hamas is required to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to a dignified burial.’

Israel said Margalit was killed at the horse stables in Kibbutz Nir Oz and that his body was then taken into Gaza, where it was held for more than two years. The IDF initially confirmed Margalit’s death in December 2023.

Margalit’s daughter, Nili Margalit, was also taken hostage but was released during the brief November 2023 ceasefire. He leaves behind a wife, three children and grandchildren.

‘The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Margalit family and all the families of the fallen abductees,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. ‘The government and the entire Israeli Public Security Bureau are determined, committed and working tirelessly to return all of our fallen abductees for a proper burial in their country.’

Margalit’s loved ones said he went to feed his beloved horses early in the morning on Oct. 7 and that the horses were taken along with him, according to The Times of Israel. The outlet added that Margalit was responsible for the kibbutz’s cattle for many years.

‘Our beloved Eli has returned home, 742 days after he was murdered and kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. We thank the people of Israel and the Hostage Families Forum for their support in the long struggle for his return, and promise that we will not stop or rest until the last of the hostages is returned for burial in Israel,’ the family said in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which was established in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre, expressed condolences to Margalit’s family.

‘The families of the hostages and the released embrace the family of Eliyahu ‘Churchill’ Margalit at this difficult time, following the return of their beloved Eliyahu z’l to Israel last night for a proper burial,’ the forum wrote. ‘Alongside the grief and the understanding that their hearts will never be whole again, Eliyahu’s return brings some measure of solace to a family that has lived in unbearable uncertainty and doubt for over two years. We will not rest until all 18 hostages are brought home.’

The forum noted that Margalit was ‘a cowboy at heart’ and was linked to an organization known as ‘Riders of the South,’ which has been bringing horseback riding enthusiasts together for more than 50 years.

Margalit is the 10th deceased hostage to be returned to Israel, while the remains of 18 others are still in Gaza. Two of the deceased hostages whose bodies have not been returned are Itay Chen, 19, and Omer Neutra, 21, both of whom are U.S. citizens.

Republican lawmakers have spent the week sharpening their attacks on Saturday’s nationwide day of protests against President Donald Trump, which many GOP leaders dismissed as ‘Hate America’ rallies.

Cities across the country are expected to see hundreds of thousands of people come out for the ‘No Kings’ movement, and several congressional Democrats have even said they will attend.

Republicans have seized on the protests as a product of far-left activism, while at the same time arguing Democrats have held firm against the GOP’s plan to end the government shutdown in a bid to please that far-left base.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Fox Business Network he hoped that Democratic leaders who attended would be more willing to accept the GOP’s plan after the demonstrations were over — but he did not sound overly optimistic.

‘It’ll be a collection of wild leftist policy priorities, and that’ll be on display for the whole country. After that’s over, I hope there’s a few Democrats over here who will come to their senses and return to governing the country,’ Johnson said.

‘Right now, I don’t think— it’s my assumption and all of ours that they would not make that concession before that rally’s over because they don’t want to face the angry mob. I mean it’s sad, but that’s where we are.’

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., dodged a question on whether he would attend one of the rallies on Friday, telling reporters, ‘I haven’t finalized my schedule for the weekend given, you know, the sensitivities around the government shutdown. I’m still very hopeful that Republicans will decide to show up for work so we can get the government back open.’

‘But I support the right of every single American to participate in the rallies that are going to take place this week and showing up to express dissent against an out-of-control administration,’ he said.

However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would attend one of the protests, as did House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.

Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, predicted more top Democratic figures would go but, like Johnson, signaled hope that they would acquiesce to Republicans’ demands when it was over.

‘My guess is if they don’t want a primary from the left, they’ll probably find a way to sneak it into their schedule. The real question that’s going to be is, do they have the fortitude after Saturday to come back and open up the government?’ Nunn told Fox News Digital earlier this week.

‘They should be doing it today. But if they feel like they’ve got to appease their base, then they better come to Jesus on Sunday and figure out a way to help them get back to the business of taking care of the American people.’

House GOP leaders also criticized the rallies at nearly every one of their daily shutdown press conferences this week.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Friday that Schumer was ‘more concerned’ with ‘impressing the ‘Hate America’ rally crowd that’s coming up here tomorrow than he is about not solving all of our problems tomorrow.’

And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday of the rallies’ place in the shutdown fight, ‘The rumor is that they can’t end the shutdown beforehand, because a small but very violent and vocal group is the only one that’s happy about this.’

‘If they shut it down beforehand, then they’ve got to deal with that group beforehand. If they make it through that, then at least they’ve made it through their Hate America rally, and then they can get this thing done,’ Emmer said.

The House passed a bill to keep the federal government funded at current levels through Nov. 21, called a continuing resolution (CR), mostly along party lines last month.

It’s since failed 10 times in the Senate, with a majority of Democrats rejecting any spending deal that does not also include an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies that will expire at the end of this year without congressional action.

Several Democrat senators seemed ready to expand COVID-era Obamacare tax credits holding up spending legislation needed to reopen the government — but less willing to grapple with what that would mean for the country’s expenses.

‘I’ll disagree with the framing of deficit increase,’ Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said when asked about the program’s implications for the country’s bottom line.

Others, like Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., declined to respond.

The country plunged into a shutdown at the beginning of the month when lawmakers failed to agree on a short-term spending extension that would have funded the government through Nov. 21. But the disagreement wasn’t about the package itself. In 2021, Congress temporarily expanded eligibility for Obamacare’s enhanced premium tax credits subsidies, meant to help Americans pay for their health insurance plans amid the uncertainty of the pandemic. That increased eligibility sunsets at the end of 2025. Democrats have made the program’s continuation a key condition in support for any spending package.

Republicans need at least seven Democrats to advance spending legislation in the Senate, where Republicans must clear the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. The GOP holds 53 seats in the chamber.

According to the Committee of a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal policy think tank, continuing the expanded credits could cost upwards of $30 billion annually.

Where Republicans see the expiration as an opportunity to return government spending to pre-COVID levels and shrink the national deficit, Democrats have expressed alarm over recipients who could face an abrupt end to their federal assistance.

‘You have literally millions of Americans who will no longer be able to afford their health insurance or will be thrown off health insurance when the tax credits that make the Affordable Care Act affordable expire at the end of this year,’ Coons said, referring to the 2010 health care reforms that put Obamacare into law.

Other Democrats pointed to healthcare as the key consideration at play.

‘Republicans need to restore healthcare to the American people. That’s my position,’ Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said.

Findings by KFF, a healthcare policy think tank, indicate that over 90% of the 24 million Obamacare enrollees make use of the enhanced credits.

Democrats have voted against reopening the government 10 times since the start of the shutdown.

Lawmakers like Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, have pushed back on Democrat opposition, noting that the credits were always designed to be temporary — and that Democrats were the ones who included the sunset provision to begin with.

‘This is a pre-determined crisis by the Democrats,’ Curtis said. ‘They’re the ones who put the expiration date on these.’

That’s also the position of Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark.

‘My concern is that [the credit expansion] was done during the pandemic, because of the pandemic. The pandemic is over. As a result, you’ve got people making $300,000 on a subsidy.’

‘So, what we need to do is get the government open, not hold the American people hostage and start talking, because there will be some people that are hurt,’ Boozman added.

Boozman isn’t the only Republican concerned about both: ballooning government costs and the Americans who would have to adjust their payments to afford healthcare without the subsidies.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has cautioned against sudden shifts to healthcare programs, said talks to advance both priorities haven’t made much progress. 

‘I’m trying to figure out a way that we can ensure that healthcare coverage for Americans remains, and we’re not making much headway this week,’ Murkowski said. 

Other Senators hinted that talks were advancing in some way but declined to describe them.

‘I’m not getting engaged right now, because I may or may not be involved in any negotiations on what the ultimate resolution of this will be. At this point, until the Democrats open the government, I’m not going to discuss details,’ Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said.

Both chambers of Congress left Washington, D.C., for the weekend. The Senate will return Monday.