The government has closed its doors for a sixth day, President Trump briefly suspended the possibility of negotiation with the Democrats, only to retreat several hours later – by insisting that Democrats must end the confrontation before it is willing to conclude a health care agreement.
“I am happy to work with Democrats on their failed health policies, or anything else, but they must first allow our government to reopen,” Trump said on social networks.
Earlier in the day, he had suggested that he was open to an agreement with the Democrats who asked for the extension of subsidies from the Act respecting affordable care as an end to the closure of the government. It was the first indication that Mr. Trump was willing to negotiate rather than continuing to insist that the Democrats had to reopen the government first.
Speaking in the oval office for journalists, Trump said that he was willing to conclude “the good deal”, adding that “we are talking to the Democrats”. Senator Chuck Schumer, the chief of the minority, quickly denied that talks were underway, but said the Democrats were ready to negotiate as long as health insurance subsidies could be renewed.
“Trump’s claim is not true – but if he is finally ready to work with the Democrats, we will be at the table,” Schumer said in a statement. “For months, Democrats have called Donald Trump and the Republicans of the Congress to come to the table and work with us to offer lower and better health care for the American people. If President Trump and the Republicans are finally ready to sit and do something in health care for American families, Democrats will be there – ready to get there.”
Several hours later, however, Trump reproduced the condition that Republican leaders insisted. “In fact,” he wrote on social networks, “they should open our government this evening!”
Mr. Schumer’s strategy was one to wait until Mr. Trump flashes, betting that the president prefers to restore part or all of insurance subsidies rather than blaming the effects of closure, flight delays towards military and government officials missing their pay checks.
The Senate Republicans, led by John Thune of the South Dakota, the head of the majority, adopted the position of provision to discuss an extension of health care subsidies that the Democrats allowed the government to reopen.
Trump often exaggerates the progress he made in negotiations – as it was obvious when he said that he had made significant progress to end the war in Ukraine after meeting President Vladimir V. Putin from Russia in anchorage in August. But the refusal of the White House to say a lot in recent days to counter the Democrats who have accused that health insurance premiums soar if government subsidies were not extended was an indication that civil servants were concerned about the political impact of a big leap in bonuses.
When Mr. Trump finally addressed the issue on Monday, his comments were vague. “We can have much better health care than we have done at the moment,” he said, repeating a line he has often used in his first mandate and in his race for the presidency last year. But he gave no details and would not say to whom he was talking about.
The Senate, meanwhile, voted for the fifth time to block two competing efforts to reopen the government, the Republicans and the Democrats have dug.
No senator has changed his position in relation to the previous call votes to end the closure, and the party leaders insisted so that they continue to reject the requests of the others.
Since the government’s closure last week, Democrats and Republicans have sought to blame themselves for the legislative deadlock. Just before Mr. Trump speaks, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that the White House was looking for only a “clean bill”-that is to say a bill without amendments which simply allows the government to continue to borrow and operate. But subsidies for those who buy Obamacare, as the affordable care law is known, would expire at the end of the year. Many Republicans want to let these subsidies die a natural death; Democrats have long bet that once the subsidies in place, it would be difficult for the Republicans to let them go away.
EDMONDSON CATIE Contributed reports.
