A group of House Republicans is calling on Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to deal with expiring Obamacare subsidies immediately after the government shutdown ends.

Thirteen House GOP lawmakers, led by Reps. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., and Jen Kiggans, R-Va., are sending a letter to Johnson on Tuesday thanking him for his leadership during the shutdown but maintaining that Obamacare must also be dealt with before the end of the year.

Obamacare, formally called the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has emerged as one of the main flash points in the ongoing fiscal standoff between Republicans and Democrats.

‘Every day the shutdown continues to hurt the very people we were elected to serve, including the men and women of our Armed Forces, the federal law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe, the agents who defend our nation’s borders, and the public servants who provide essential services to veterans, seniors and families,’ the Republicans wrote.

‘We also firmly believe that the government funding debate is not the time or place to address healthcare issues. Using the shutdown as leverage to force that debate only prolongs the harm and distracts from the immediate task of reopening the government. Once the government is reopened, however, we should immediately turn our focus to the growing crisis of healthcare affordability and the looming expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits.’

Obamacare subsidies were enhanced under the Biden administration in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in a bid to make healthcare more available to a wider swath of Americans. Democrats voted to extend those subsidies through 2025 in 2022 via the Inflation Reduction Act.

Democrats are now pushing to extend those subsidies now, using the ongoing government shutdown as leverage to force Republicans to deal with the issue.

Both House and Senate GOP leaders have signaled they are willing to discuss the expiring healthcare subsidies but rejected pairing them with their bill to fund the government — a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal spending levels called a continuing resolution (CR).

But extending the Obamacare subsidies is expected to generate its own debates among Republicans. Conservatives like the House Freedom Caucus and their allies are skeptical of the move, arguing the enhanced healthcare credits were responsible for sending medical prices skyrocketing.

But the 13 Republicans who signed the letter maintain, ‘Millions of Americans are facing drastic premium increases due to short-sighted Democratic policymaking. While we did not create this crisis, we now have both the responsibility and the opportunity to address it.’

‘Allowing these tax credits to lapse without a clear path forward would risk real harm to those we represent. Nevertheless, we must chart a conservative path that protects working families in our districts across the country who rely on these credits,’ they wrote.

The lawmakers agreed with GOP leaders that reforms are needed to the system ‘to make these credits more fiscally responsible and ensure they are going to the Americans who need them most,’ but added, ‘Our Conference and President Trump have been clear that we will not take healthcare away from families who depend on it. This is our opportunity to demonstrate that commitment through action.’

House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., ruled out accepting a straightforward extension of the Obamacare subsidies in comments to reporters on Monday.

‘You want a clean vote on a program that potentially is $400 billion, and you want to do it without any debate, any negotiation? That’s just insanity,’ Harris said.

Asked by Fox News Digital if he sees any pathway to compromise, he said, ‘It all depends on what the package is, how is it paid for, what other healthcare reforms are in it?’

‘But that’s stuff that you’re not going to negotiate in hours. It’s going to take weeks to negotiate,’ Harris said.

It’s also not immediately clear when the shutdown will end — while the House passed its CR on Sept. 19, Senate Democrats have sunk the bill in the upper chamber 11 times as of Monday.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., was one of nearly a dozen Senate Republicans allegedly probed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, an investigation she wasn’t aware of until earlier this month.

She was one of several Senate Republicans that Smith allegedly surveilled as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. But it was only revealed earlier this month by the FBI — thanks to an oversight request by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — that Smith allegedly requested phone records on her and others.

Blackburn told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that until the documents from Smith’s ‘Arctic Frost’ investigation were revealed, she had no idea that her phone records were being surveilled.

She believed the ‘common thread’ behind the former special counsel’s probe, which was carried out in 2023, was because ‘the eight of us are all Republicans. We all support President Trump.’

Blackburn and Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Wyo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., were all reportedly part of Smith’s investigation.  

In response, Blackburn and many of the others that were allegedly surveilled by Smith want to see him disbarred.

‘This is about making certain we have one tier of justice, and that we stop this two tiers of justice,’ Blackburn said. ‘And if they can do this to eight sitting U.S. senators, what could they possibly — I mean, think about how, what they must be doing to conservatives in this country.’

Last week, she and Graham, Tuberville, Sullivan and Kelly sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding an investigation into Smith, and that he be referred to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Professional Responsibility.  

The end goal of the investigation is to see Smith disbarred from both New York and Tennessee, two states where he holds a license to practice law. Blackburn argued that Smith’s alleged spying on her and others was a ‘First Amendment and Fourth Amendment violation.’

Her latest push against the former special counsel came on the heels of another letter sent to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon demanding why the cellphone carriers allegedly allowed Smith and the FBI under the Biden administration to track their communications.

‘You would have thought that, because of the Stored Records Act and the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and the Speech and Debate Clause, that at least Verizon, who’s my wireless carrier, would have informed me that there was a request on my records,’ she said. 

‘But of course, there was nothing given to us, and it’s the reason that we sent the letter to Verizon and then followed it with a letter … to the DOJ on Jack Smith,’ she continued.

Smith is one of a handful of former officials that have been targeted by the DOJ under the Trump administration. He is currently under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for alleged Hatch Act violations, which bars government employees from participating in political activities.

Then there are federal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making false statements and obstructing justice, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton for allegedly mishandling classified documents.

Blackburn was one of many Republicans that railed against so-called political witch hunts against President Donald Trump when he was out of office. When asked what the difference between the indictments against Trump and his allies compared to the latest crop of former officials, she said it was about accountability.

‘These need to be investigated so that this kind of stuff stops,’ Blackburn said. ‘And one of the differences, I think you see between Democrats and Republicans, is Democrats repeatedly circle the wagons, and they push things under the rug, and then they want two tiers of justice. And with Republicans, the focus is on accountability and transparency, and I think that is a major, major difference.’

China’s spy agency accused the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) of hacking its national time service, alleging a yearslong cyberespionage campaign that targeted the system keeping official Beijing Time — a backbone for China’s telecommunications, finance and defense sectors.

The Ministry of State Security claimed the NSA began the operation in 2022 by exploiting a text-messaging vulnerability to gain control of employee cell phones at the National Time Service Center, then used stolen credentials to access servers and implant covert tools. The alleged breach, if true, could have allowed attackers to tamper with national timekeeping — a move that experts say could disrupt communications, banking and satellite navigation across China.

The NSA said in a statement it ‘does not confirm nor deny allegations in the media regarding its operations. Our core focus is countering foreign malign activities persistently targeting American interests, and we will continue to defend against adversaries wishing to threaten us.’

Chinese Investigators allege the hackers deployed 42 ‘specialized cyberattack weapons’ to implant sabotage capabilities.

The attackers allegedly forged digital certificates, bypassed antivirus software and used strong encryption to erase traces to conceal activity. Tampering with the National Time Service could disrupt financial transactions, communications and satellite timing.

China’s national security agency said it countered the operation by cutting off the attack chain and upgrading defenses.

The Beijing statement claimed that in recent years, the U.S. has pursued ‘cyber hegemony,’ launching hacking operations against China and across the globe.

But for years, U.S. officials have said the nation needs to take a more offensive approach to cyber espionage, given China’s frequent intrusions into U.S. systems.

In a media statement, the U.S. embassy in Beijing said China ‘is the most active and persistent cyber threat to U.S. government, private-sector and critical infrastructure networks.’

The latest claim fits into years of mutual accusations of state-sponsored cyber activity between the world’s two largest powers. Beijing has frequently accused the U.S. of hacking Chinese systems, while American intelligence and private cybersecurity firms have repeatedly attributed massive data-theft campaigns – from the Microsoft Sharepoint breach to Operation Salt Typhoon – to Chinese state-linked groups.

In April, Chinese authorities accused the NSA of launching attacks against networks linked to the Asian Winter Games held in February.

Former President Joe Biden completed a round of radiation treatment for his aggressive form of prostate cancer on Monday.

Biden had been undergoing treatment at Penn Medicine Radiation Oncology in Philadelphia for several weeks. The former president’s daughter, Ashley Biden, hailed the milestone in a post on social media.

‘Rung the bell! Thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Penn Medicine. We are so grateful!’ she wrote on Instagram.

‘He rang the bell today,’ Biden spokeswoman Kelly Scully confirmed, according to CBS News.

‘Dad has been so damn brave throughout his treatment. Grateful,’ Ashley wrote in a follow-up post.

It is common practice for cancer treatment centers to have patients ring a bell when they complete a round of radiation treatment. It serves as both a mark of progress for the patient and a form of encouragement for other patients undergoing treatment in the facility.

It is unclear whether Biden will need to undergo further rounds of radiation therapy.

Biden announced his diagnosis with prostate cancer in May, saying it had already metastasized and spread to his bones. The announcement redoubled concerns that the White House was not being forthright about Biden’s health during his time in office.

Biden also underwent surgery Sept. 4 to remove cancerous skin cells through a procedure known as Mohs surgery.

During his presidency, Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest, the White House previously said. Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor noted in February 2023 that a biopsy of skin tissue taken during a health assessment revealed cancerous cells, all of which were successfully removed.

Fox News’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

A pair of Senate Republicans plan to nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in fast-tracking the production and distribution of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., plan to introduce a resolution that would formally nominate Trump for the prize for launching Operation Warp Speed at the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

The executive action saw a large-scale collaboration among multiple federal agencies and private companies to fast-track the research, development and distribution of vaccines during the pandemic, and was funded by billions from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. 

The lawmakers’ push comes after Trump expressed his desire to win the Peace Prize for his involvement in striking a deal between Israel and Hamas, and shortly after the prize committee passed over him. It’s also the most recent in a string of nomination pushes from congressional Republicans. 

Both Cassidy and Barrasso, who were doctors before becoming legislators, lauded the massive mobilization effort and credited Operation Warp Speed for saving millions of lives during the pandemic.

‘When Americans needed a vaccine in record time to stop a once-in-a-generation pandemic, President Trump delivered,’ Cassidy said. ‘The Nobel Prize has been given for a lot less. He should receive the next one!’

Barrasso contended that Operation Warp Speed would ‘not have been possible without President Trump’s bold leadership.’

‘He bent an infamously slow bureaucracy to his will to bring a vaccine to market in under a year. Operation Warp Speed saved millions of lives in the United States and millions more lives around the world. President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his life-saving achievement,’ he said.

Other congressional Republicans have sought to nominate Trump for the award for varying achievements this year, including his involvement in striking a deal to see the end of the Israel-Hamas War. 

And Dr. Mehmet Oz, who Trump tapped as administrator for the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, argued the president should win the prize for Operation Warp Speed, which he called a ‘a massive success for our country.’ 

But their push to nominate Trump for his role in vaccine development comes after both lawmakers sparred with Human Health and Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during a Senate hearing last month following turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and questions over his stance on vaccines.

Cassidy pressed Kennedy during his appearance before the Senate Finance Committee in September, where the HHS Secretary agreed that Trump should win the prize for Operation Warp Speed.

‘Absolutely, senator,’ Kennedy said.

However, at the time, Cassidy questioned Kennedy’s actions against vaccines prior to his role as HHS Secretary — and while leading the agency — that appeared to counter his support for Operation Warp Speed.

Kennedy countered that he began litigating against former President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates and not against Trump’s push with Operation Warp Speed.

‘First of all, the reason that Operation Warp Speed was genius is it did something nobody ever [had] done — I don’t think any president but President Trump could do it — it got the vaccine to market that was perfectly matched to the virus at that time,’ Kennedy said. 

A House Republican exploring higher office is predicting the ongoing government shutdown will make the 2026 midterm field a more difficult one for Democrats.

‘Once all the dust settles, I think people will think, ‘Why did the Democrats shut it down? What was their reason? What did they get out of it?’’ Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital.

‘And I think once this all passes over the next two, three months, I think people will think, like, ‘Shame on all these partisan antics the government did and shame on [Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.] for going down this path, having no idea of how to get it reopened.’

Feenstra is expected to announce a run for Iowa governor, having already started gathering endorsements and creating a ‘Feenstra for Governor’ website.

He’s also one of the vast majority of House Republicans who voted to pass the GOP’s government funding bill on Sept. 19.

It was a seven-week extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal funding levels called a continuing resolution (CR), aimed at giving congressional negotiators more time to strike a longer-term deal on FY2026 spending.

But in the Senate, where at least several Democrats are needed to reach the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster, progress has stalled.

Senate Democrats have tanked the bill in the upper chamber 11 times since the House passed it.

Three members of the Senate Democratic caucus have been voting with Republicans, but under the current tally, at least five more are needed to hold a final vote on the bill.

Democrats are demanding that any funding bill be paired with significant concessions on healthcare, specifically an extension of Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are set to expire at the end of this year.

‘I think it affects people up and down the ticket, because you have the Democrats … who say, ‘Schumer is right.’ You have these liberal progressives that no matter what happens, they just want to spend more money, and they want to make sure illegal immigrants get healthcare,’ Feenstra said.

‘It’s very concerning, I think once people understand that, I think it could have a really catastrophic effect on Democrats next election cycle,’ he said.

Democrats have called GOP accusations that they want to restore healthcare for illegal immigrants a lie. A counter-proposal for a CR introduced by Democrats last month would eliminate healthcare changes in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, some of which are aimed at keeping certain noncitizens from accessing government-funded healthcare.

Feenstra also criticized Democrats’ counter-proposal because it would eliminate a new $50 billion rural hospital fund established in Republicans’ policy bill.

‘Everybody’s really worried about our healthcare. There’s $50 billion in the ‘big, beautiful bill,’ [President Donald Trump’s] big, beautiful bill, to help critical access hospitals in the Midwest and in Iowa. That’s in jeopardy right now,’ Feenstra said.

‘So there’s a lot of concern right now in rural Iowa. And everybody understands that you’ve got to get the government open so that we can negotiate and figure this out.’

The Iowa Republican, whose district skews heavily rural, said he was also worried about critical programs for farmers that are endangered by the shutdown.

‘This is really affecting the farm community over in the Midwest,’ he said.

While President Donald Trump and his administration brushed off the ‘No Kings’ nationwide protests rebuking the president over the weekend, Democrats lauded the protesters for standing up for democracy. 

The protest marked at least the second time ‘No Kings’ rallies have been organized across the country in major cities, including Washington, New York City and Los Angeles, since Trump took office for the second time, and organizers claim the protests are in opposition to his authoritarian policies. 

Meanwhile, Trump pushed back on the description of ‘king,’ as he and other Republicans poked fun at the millions participating in the rallies. 

‘I’m not a king,’ Trump told reporters Sunday on Air Force One. ‘I work my ass off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all.’

Trump also characterized the protests as inconsequential, and said that those who participated didn’t accurately reflect the people who make up the U.S. 

‘The demonstrations were very small, very ineffective and the people were whacked out,’ Trump said Sunday. ‘When you look at those people, those are not representative of the people of our country.’

Despite Trump’s rejection of being labeled a king, the official White House social media accounts previously posted an image in February of Trump wearing a crown with a caption claiming ‘long live the king.’ Trump also reposted an AI-generated video that Vice President JD Vance originally shared, depicting Trump placing a crown on his head and drawing a sword. 

Additionally, Trump shared another AI-generated video of him donning a crown in a fighter jet over New York City, unloading what appeared to be feces on the protesters. 

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., said that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. needed a distraction from the government shutdown that started Oct. 1, although Johnson did admit that the protests turned out to be a ‘violent-free, free speech exercise.’ 

‘They needed a stunt,’ Johnson said in an interview with ABC Sunday. ‘They needed a show. Chuck Schumer has — needs cover right now. He’s closed the government down because he needs political cover, and this was a part of it.’

However, Democrats said the protests were an opportunity to stand up for democracy. For example, Schumer said that there are ‘no dictators’ in the U.S., and that ‘we won’t allow Trump to keep eroding our democracy.’ 

‘Dictators evolve when good people of all different beliefs and backgrounds stay silent,’ Schumer said in a social media post on Saturday. ‘This No Kings Day says we will not stay silent.’

Additionally, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi shared a video clip of her dismantling a plastic crown, appearing to harken back to when she ripped Trump’s State of the Union address in 2020. 

‘We’re gonna tear up the crown!’ Pelosi said in the brief clip, which she shared on social media with the caption: ‘No crown. #NoKings!’ 

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also weighed in, claiming ‘we said ‘hell no’ to kings, and reminded the nation and the world what patriotism looks like.’ 

‘From our nation’s capitol to cities across California, millions stood shoulder to shoulder to say that our democracy is worth fighting for, that our voices will not be silent, and that we will not sit back and let a wannabe king take our freedoms,’ Schiff said Saturday to accompany several photos of himself at the protest in Washington. ‘Proud to stand with you.’ 

Additionally, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the protests were reflective of the democratic process in the U.S. 

‘This is what democracy looks like!’ Murray said in a Saturday social media post. ‘We use our voices and our votes. NO KINGS IN AMERICA!’

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that construction has begun on a new, privately funded White House Ballroom – a long-envisioned addition designed to host state visits and large gatherings – as part of a modernization of the East Wing.

‘I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,’ Trump said on Truth Social. ‘Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!

‘For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!’ he continued. ‘The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing in July that the construction of the estimated $200 million new ballroom would begin in September and be ‘completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.’

Her announcement came after a similar gesture earlier this year, when Trump personally financed the installation of two 88-foot American flags flanking the White House, each reportedly costing about $50,000.

‘The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,’ Leavitt said at the time, adding the new ballroom will be ‘a much needed and exquisite addition.’

She also said the United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications during the construction.

The project is intended to provide a dedicated space for hosting official events, state dinners and large ceremonial gatherings.

The new 90,000-square-foot addition will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House.

The White House does not have a formal ballroom, and the new ballroom will take the place of the current East Wing of the White House.

Trump chose McCrery Architects to design the project, with Clark Construction overseeing the build and AECOM providing engineering support.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

: Trump administration agencies are working to expose the Biden administration’s ‘prolific and dangerous weaponization of government,’ Fox News Digital has learned.

The Interagency Weaponization Working Group (IWWG) is made up of officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA and more.

Officials told Fox News Digital that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard initiated the Interagency Weaponization Working Group, which has been meeting biweekly since April to ‘share information, coordinate, and execute.’

‘The American people made a clear choice when they elected President Trump — to stop the Biden administration’s prolific and dangerous weaponization of government agencies against the American people and the Constitution,’ Gabbard told Fox News Digital. ‘I stood up this working group to start the important work of interagency coordination under President Trump’s leadership to deliver accountability.’

She added: ‘True accountability is the first step toward lasting change.’

Officials told Fox News Digital the group was created to streamline information sharing across the government in support of the Trump executive order.

‘Joe Biden’s Department of Justice targeted President Trump and anyone close to him, prosecuted pro-life advocates, treated parents at school board meetings as domestic terrorists, and destroyed public trust in federal law enforcement,’ Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News Digital.

‘Under President Trump, we are working every day alongside our partners to end weaponization and restore one tier of justice for all,’ Bondi said.

Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that, ‘for years, Biden’s DOJ turned federal law enforcement into a political weapon.’ 

‘Going after President Trump, pro-life Americans, and parents at school boards while letting real criminals run wild,’ Patel told Fox News Digital. ‘Under Preisdent Trump, we’ve ripped that agenda out by the roots.’ 

Patel added: ‘We’re restoring equal justice under the law, one standard, one mission: Protect the American people.’ 

Officials involved pointed Fox News Digital to President Trump’s executive order, which says interagency coordination is needed to ‘ensure accountability for the previous administration’s weaponization of the federal government against the American people.’ 

The executive order had directed Gabbard, in consultation with the heads of other appropriate departments and agencies within the intelligence community, to ‘take all appropriate action to review the activities of the intelligence community over the last four years and identify any instances’ of the weaponization of government.

Officials told Fox News Digital that the interagency group is ‘working to undo the Biden administration’s whole-of-government approach to abuse the powers of government against the American people.’

‘The weaponization of government against Americans did not happen in one agency, one time,’ an official explained. ‘It happened repeatedly over the duration of the Biden administration.’

‘That’s why, in order to depoliticize and deweaponize the government, it is important to understand what agencies carried out, what roles, and why,’ the official continued. ‘The IWWG is essential for coordinating across agencies.’ 

But officials said the media has attempted to ‘negatively spin lawful oversight and accountability’ by claiming it is a way for the Trump administration to weaponize the government against its political opponents.

‘The irony is, accusing the Interagency Weaponization Working Group of targeting the president’s political opponents is classic projection and could not be further from the truth,’ an official said.

The official said that there is ‘no targeting of any individual person for retribution.’

‘IWWG is simply looking at available facts and evidence that may point to actions, reports, agencies, individuals, and more who illegally weaponized the government in order to carry out political attacks,’ the official said.

‘The only people who fear accountability are the ones who never expected to face it,’ the official continued. ‘Oversight is not the problem—abuse of power is.’ 

Senate Democrats, fresh off a weekend of anti-Trump rallies, again blocked the Republicans’ plan to reopen the government for an 11th time as the shutdown nears its fourth week.

Senate Republicans had hoped their colleagues across the aisle would have a change of heart after the ‘No Kings’ rallies across the country, but like many times before, Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., largely voted to block the funding bill.

Neither side has changed its position as the shutdown has continued to drag on.

Senate Democrats want an extension to expiring Obamacare subsidies, which were enhanced when Senate Democrats controlled the upper chamber under President Joe Biden and are set to expire by the end of this year.

Schumer accused congressional Republicans of being unwilling to solve the problem, despite overtures from Senate Republicans that they’d be open to have a vote on the matter. 

‘What kind of country do we live in? What kind of party is this Republican Party that is unwilling to solve this problem, which is staring Americans in the face, frightening Americans from one end of the country to the other,’ Schumer said. ‘And yet Republicans, what are they doing about it? Nothing. They’re on vacation. It’s unacceptable and morally repugnant.’

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., contended over the weekend at the ‘No Kings’ rally in Washington, D.C., that when Democrats were in charge, the government never shut down.

‘The government is shut down and shutdowns are painful,’ he said. ‘They hurt people. And frankly, that’s why there was not a single government shutdown when Joe Biden was president and Democrats were in charge of Congress. Because we acted like adults, we negotiated with Republicans. We found common ground. We kept the government open.’

But Senate Republicans have remained adamant that they won’t negotiate while the government is shut down. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., extended an olive branch to Senate Democrats and offered a vote on the expiring subsidies, but so far, Senate Democrats have not agreed.

Republicans are also trying to fund the government through other means. Thune tried and failed to advance the annual defense appropriations bill through a procedural hurdle last week, which Senate Democrats blocked. Republicans are also trying to finish work on a trio of funding bills passed in August, but Senate Democrats are blocking that, too.

‘Any idea that this is about Obamacare enhanced premium tax credits is going by the wayside when they continue to keep the government shut down and don’t allow us time to actually work on the issue,’ Thune said. ‘I don’t think they want a solution. I think they want a political issue.’

Another issue is that even if lawmakers were to pass the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) on Tuesday, Congress would only have one month to finish work on spending bills to fund the government. When asked if the it was time to think about the House coming back to extend the deadline, Thune said, ‘For sure.’ 

‘I mean, every day that passes, we have less time to fund the government,’ he said. 

Meanwhile, lawmakers will get the chance to pay certain federal workers and the military later in the week.

Thune said that he planned to tee up legislation from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and several other Senate Republicans that would pay military service members and certain ‘excepted’ federal workers who are still working despite the ongoing shutdown. That bill could be ready for a vote by Thursday at the latest. 

When asked if he worried that Senate Democrats would continue to take hostages during the shutdown fight, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said, ‘Hopefully not.’

‘Because at whatever point the Schumer shutdown ends is because the Democrats are finally tired of it, or they hear enough from their constituents,’ he said. ‘Hopefully enough people will tell them, ‘Hey, we don’t want that anymore. You keep government open. Do the job.’’

But for now, there’s no real end in sight for the shutdown.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, contended that neither side would break the impasse given that there’s no ‘incentive’ to do so.

‘What we’re seeing is different,’ Murkowski said. ‘You’ve got both sides that are just really hard dug in, but everybody thinks they’re winning. Nobody is winning when everybody’s losing. And that’s what’s happening right now. The American public is losing.’