Capitol agenda: Thune insists there’s only one way out of the shutdown

Bipartisan rank-and-file negotiations on expiring Obamacare subsidies are picking up steam as lawmakers hunt for a shutdown off-ramp. Republicans still say those talks won’t lead to action until the government reopens. Senate Majority Leader John Thune underscored this point in an exclusive interview Wednesday with POLITICO, where he said he needs to see a “critical […]

How John Thune sees the shutdown ending

Senate Majority Leader John Thune laid out a path to end the government shutdown in an exclusive interview Wednesday, saying he is willing to discuss the shape of future health care negotiations if a “critical mass” of Democrats say they are willing to support a House-passed funding bill in return. The comments, made in his […]

Dick Durbin says he was ‘overwhelmed’ by pope’s support

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said Wednesday he was “overwhelmed” by Pope Leo XIV’s comments on his behalf, made this week after the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago’s decision to honor the pro-abortion-rights Democrat for his immigration work sparked a backlash from conservatives. The pontiff — a Chicago-area native who has voted in elections where Durbin was […]

Senators hunt for possible path out of shutdown

A bipartisan group of senators is already looking for a way out of the government shutdown. The talks, which played out on the Senate floor Wednesday as lawmakers again voted down dueling partisan funding bills, are still in their early stages. Multiple lawmakers involved said they aren’t close to finalizing a proposal. But the nascent […]

‘Pain will be inflicted’ as shutdown drags on, Mike Johnson says

Speaker Mike Johnson and fellow Republican congressional leaders blasted Democrats on Wednesday for opposing their short-term funding stopgap and triggering the pending federal shutdown. Johnson on Wednesday echoed threats from President Donald Trump that a shutdown’s burdens would fall disproportionately on Democrats by slashing blue-state funding and potentially government “benefits.” “The longer this goes on, […]