WASHINGTON – The federal government remains closed, and the Senate is struggling to find the 60 votes needed to resume it, and there will be no negotiations between the leaders of both parties.
Republicans control the Senate, but at least eight Democratic Caucus members will need to vote with them to overcome the filibuster and end the closure. So far they only have three. Catherine Cortez Mast, D-Nev. Angus King, i-maine. The rest has been finalized so far as the party will demand concessions in the form of medical funds to win votes.
There is no serious debate between Senate majority leader John Tune and minority leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.).
Meanwhile, the House has cancelled next week’s session and focused on the Senate.
Here are three major democratic senators to watch.
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Jeanne Shaheen, DN.H.
Shaheen is in a unique position for a variety of reasons. She is a senior member of the Approximate Committee and is tasked with writing government funding bills and hates closures. Shaheen was one of two Democrat Caucus members who voted for the last Republican bill to avoid the government shutdown that passed in March (Senator Angus King, I-Maine).
She is also the lead author of the Democratic bill that will make Obamacare subsidies permanent, which expire at the end of the year, and is the party’s central demand in the current standoffs. And she retires at the end of this semester and is releasing her from political pressure.
“There are a lot of people on both sides of the aisle that we think needs to address this,” Shaheen said, citing a recent poll showing great support for expanding them to avoid premium hiking. “I think that’s important and it’s a message to the White House, not just my Republican colleagues.”
A source who spoke to Shaheen said she recognized the headwinds Democrats face as a minority party and spoke to her colleagues in search of the best possible outcomes with healthcare solutions. Sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations between the senators.
Shaheen is considered someone who can deal with Republicans. She has no one thinking about partisan flamethrowers. If there’s a contract to break Logjam, it will probably run through her.
Senator John Ossoff, D-GA.
Ossoff is the only Democrat to run for reelection next year in the state won by President Donald Trump in 2024. The first Georgia Senator held his card near the vest during the closure and was strategic in his occasional break with his party during his Senate career. However, in each of the four recent votes on bills to fund the government, he supported the democratic plan. This supported expanding Obamacare funding, rescinding Medicaid cuts and opposed Republicans.
Ossov said his vote was “to keep the government open and prevent a significant increase in Georgian health insurance premiums next year.”
He accused Trump of telling Republicans not to negotiate with Democrats, but the GOP urged them to “work with us to find a bipartisan path and prevent a significant increase in Georgia’s health insurance premiums.”
For now, Trump and Republicans are more responsible for the closure than Democrats, according to four recent polls. It gives Ossov some breathing chambers. However, he does not want to alienate swing voters who could prove crucial to the second term exploration in a hyper-competitive state.
When the masses turn on the Democrats in the fight for shutdown, Ossov faces great pressure to turn them over. Otherwise, it could mean a GOP strategy to suppress Democrats until they feel the heat and caves are failing.
Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawai
Schatz was one of the 10 leading Democrats who allowed Republicans to pass a six-month government funding bill that would prevent the closure at its latest deadline in March. Schatz didn’t vote for the underlying funding bill like Shaheen and King, but the votes by him and other Democrats that allowed Republicans to avoid the filibuster have sparked a ferocious response from the liberal base.
Schatz is uniquely positioned as Schumer’s sub-business, who has fingers at the pulsation of both the Democratic Congress and the party base (including younger and more online activists). He is one of a limited group of senators who are proficient in social media, where much of the debate takes place. And he will become the next Senate Democrat whip and will be Paul’s position to replace retired Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
In the preparation for the current shutdown, Schatz offers “free advice” to Republicans, vowing that “another jam job won’t work,” and that the GOP will need to negotiate with Democrats to achieve a successful product. He did well with that warning.
Schatz could be positive about the direction of the caucus and whether enough Democrats can accept a bill that will reopen the government. If he’s on board, other fence photographers at the meeting may find it more comfortable.
