Gov't Shutdown Longest on Record       11/05 06:05

   The government shutdown has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the 
longest ever and disrupting the lives of millions of Americans with federal 
program cuts, flight delays and federal workers nationwide left without 
paychecks.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government shutdown has entered its 36th day, 
breaking the record as the longest ever and disrupting the lives of millions of 
Americans with federal program cuts, flight delays and federal workers 
nationwide left without paychecks.

   President Donald Trump has refused to negotiate with Democrats over their 
demands to salvage expiring health insurance subsidies until they agree to 
reopen the government. But skeptical Democrats question whether the Republican 
president will keep his word, particularly after the administration restricted 
SNAP food aid, despite court orders to ensure funds are available to prevent 
hunger.

   Trump, whose first term at the White House set the previous government 
shutdown record, is set to meet early Wednesday for breakfast with GOP 
senators. But no talks have been scheduled with the Democrats.

   "Why is this happening? We're in a shutdown because our colleagues are 
unwilling to come to the table to talk about one simple thing: health care 
premiums," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in a late evening speech.

   "Stop this mess, come to the table, negotiate it," she said.

   With Trump largely on the sidelines, talks have intensified among a loose 
coalition of centrist senators trying to negotiate an end to the stalemate. 
Expectations are high that the logjam would break once election results were 
fully tallied in Tuesday's off-year races that were widely watched as a gauge 
of voter sentiment over Trump's second term in the White House. Democrats swept 
key contests for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, and New York City mayor, 
certain to shake up the political assessments.

   But earlier in the afternoon, Senate Democrats left an hours-long private 
meeting stone-faced, with no certain path forward.

   "We're exploring all the options," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer 
said afterward.

   Trump sets another shutdown record

   Trump's approach to this shutdown stands in marked contrast to his first 
term, when the government was partially closed for 35 days over his demands for 
funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall. At that time, he met publicly and 
negotiated with congressional leaders, but unable to secure the funds, he 
relented in 2019.

   This time, it's not just Trump declining to engage in talks. The 
congressional leaders are at a standoff and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., 
sent lawmakers home in September after they approved their own funding bill, 
refusing further negotiations.

   In the meantime, food aid, child care funds and countless other government 
services are being seriously interrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal 
workers have been furloughed or expected to come to work without pay.

   Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted there could be chaos in the 
skies next week if air traffic controllers miss another paycheck. Labor unions 
put pressure on lawmakers to reopen the government.

   Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this has been not only the 
longest shutdown but also "the most severe shutdown on record."

   The Republican leader has urged the Democrats to accept his overtures to 
vote on the health care issue and keep negotiating a solution once the 
government reopens, arguing that no one wins politically from the standoff.

   "Shutdowns are stupid," Thune said.

   Senators search for potential deal

   Central to any endgame will be a series of agreements that would need to be 
upheld not only by the Senate, but also the House, and the White House, which 
is not at all certain in Washington.

   First of all, senators from both parties, particularly the powerful members 
of the Appropriations Committee, are pushing to ensure the normal government 
funding process in Congress can be put back on track.

   Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chair of the Senate Appropriations 
Committee, and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., along with several Democrats, 
including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Chris 
Coons of Delaware, are among those working behind the scenes.

   "The pace of talks have increased," said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who has 
been involved in conversations.

   Among the goals is guaranteeing upcoming votes on a smaller package of bills 
where there is already widespread bipartisan agreement to fund various aspects 
of government, like agricultural programs and military construction projects at 
bases.

   "I certainly think that three-bill package is primed to do a lot of good 
things for the American people," said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who has also 
been in talks.

   Health care costs skyrocket for millions

   More difficult, a substantial number of senators also want some resolution 
to the standoff over the funding for the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are 
set to expire at year's end.

   With insurance premium notices being sent, millions of Americans are 
experiencing sticker shock on skyrocketing prices. The loss of enhanced federal 
subsidies, which were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic and come in the 
form of tax credits, are expected to leave many people unable to buy health 
insurance.

   Republicans are reluctant to fund the health care program, also known as 
Obamacare, without reforms, but negotiating a compromise with Democrats is 
expected to take time, if a deal can be reached at all.

   Thune has promised Democrats at least a vote on their preferred health care 
proposal, on a date certain, as part of any deal to reopen government. But 
that's not enough for some senators, who see the health care deadlock as part 
of their broader concerns with Trump's direction for the country.

   The White House says its position remains unchanged and that Democrats must 
vote to fund the government before talks over health care can begin. White 
House officials are in close contact with GOP senators who have been quietly 
speaking with key Senate Democrats, according to a senior White House official. 
The official was granted anonymity to discuss administration strategy.

   Trump's demands to end the filibuster fall flat

   The president has been pushing the senators to nuke the filibuster -- the 
Senate rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation -- as a way to 
reopen the government.

   The GOP senators have panned Trump's demands to end the filibuster, in a 
rare public break with the president. Thune and others argue the Senate rule, 
while infuriating at times, ensures the minority party can be a check on the 
administration, which is important when power shifts in Washington.

   But in the current Senate, where Republicans hold a slim majority, 53-47, 
Democrats have been able to block the House-passed bill that would fund the 
government, having voted more than a dozen times against.

   Trump has said that doing away with the filibuster would be one way the 
Republicans could bypass the Democrats and end the shutdown on their own. 
Republican senators are trying to avoid that outcome.