Schumer presents plan to reopen Government, extend ACA tax credits

(MENAFN) Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer presented a plan Friday aimed at reopening the federal government while simultaneously extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, seeking to tackle the health care crisis amid ongoing shutdown negotiations. Schumer highlighted the political stalemate, stating, "Democrats have said we must address the health care crisis, but Republicans have repeatedly said they won't negotiate to lower the health care costs until the government reopens. So, let's find a path to honor both positions," as stated by reports.

He suggested a straightforward approach that would both reopen the government and maintain ACA premium tax credits, allowing lawmakers to pursue longer-term health care reforms afterward. "We’d like to offer a simple proposal that would reopen the government and extend the ACA premium tax credits simultaneously, and then have the opportunity to start negotiating longer-term solutions to health care costs. Let’s do all there," Schumer said, emphasizing Democrats’ readiness to swiftly pass a funding bill addressing affordability.

Schumer further explained, "(Senate Majority) Leader (John) Thune just needs to add a clean one-year extension of the ACA tax credits to the CR (continuing resolution) so that we can immediately address rising health care costs. That’s not a negotiation, it’s an extension of current law ... We also offer this, let's create a bipartisan committee that will continue negotiations after the government reopens," outlining the proposed mechanism for immediate relief and future discussions.

Republicans, however, quickly dismissed the proposal. Thune reportedly described it as a "nonstarter" that “doesn’t even get close," while another senior senator criticized it as "terrible" and "political terrorism." Despite the disagreement, the Senate is expected to continue working through the weekend to find a resolution, according to reports.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump called for the chamber to remain in session until an agreement was reached, urging action to end what he termed the “Democrat Shutdown.” He wrote, "The United States Senate should not leave town until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown. If they can’t reach a Deal, the Republicans should terminate the Filibuster, immediately, and take care of our Great American Workers!"

The shutdown, which began on October 1 following a failure to agree on federal spending priorities, has become the longest in U.S. history. Thousands of federal employees remain furloughed or are working without pay, and many government services have been reduced or halted entirely, according to reports.

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