Centrist Senators talk of ending shutdown, Thune acknowledges

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged Friday that there are bipartisan talks among centrist Senators about a compromise to end the government shutdown that might involve a deal to continue the Affordable Care Act tax subsidies, set to expire at the end of the year.

Thune also said he was hoping “to have a conversation with our Democratic colleagues on how to address that issue.”

But while that might all sound positive, he then went on to say, “We can’t make commitments or promises on the COVID subsidies because that’s not something that we can guarantee that there are the votes there to do.” He added, “What I said is, I’m hoping to have a conversation with our Democrat colleagues about how to address that issue. But that can’t happen while the government is shut down."