John Thune's Obamacare negotiations fail! Senate kills funding bill for 10th time, US govt shutdown grinds on

US Senate Majority Leader John Thune is under mounting pressure amid the ongoing government shutdown, as Senate Democrats rejected a short-term spending bill for the 10th time on Thursday.

The measure, aimed at temporarily reopening the government, failed on a 51-45 vote, falling short of the 60 votes required to move forward under Senate filibuster rules.

Democrats remained firm in their stance, refusing to support any funding resolution that didn't include progress on health care benefits. Thune said he had offered them a vote on extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, a top Democratic priority, but acknowledged he couldn't ensure the proposal's passage.

He also made it clear that negotiations over the details of any Obamacare-related deal would have to wait until the government was back open.

Thune had extended an offer to Democrats aimed at resolving the ongoing government shutdown, but it wasn’t sufficient to break the deadlock.

In an interview with MSNBC, Thune said he proposed giving Democrats a vote on extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, one of their top priorities.

However, he made clear he couldn’t promise the measure would pass. Thune also stated he would not negotiate the specifics of the subsidies deal until the government is reopened.

While some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven't produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government.

“The Democratic Party is the party that will not take yes for an answer,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said in an angry speech on the Senate floor, as reported by AP.

He had also offered to hold a later vote on extending subsidies for health plans offered under Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but said he would not “guarantee a result or an outcome.”

Democrats say they won't budge until they get a guarantee on extending the tax credits for the health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance, such as small business owners, farmers and contractors, will see large increases when premium prices go out in the coming weeks. Looking ahead to a Nov. 1 deadline in most states, they think voters will demand that Republicans enter into serious negotiations.

Who benefits from the US govt shutdown?

A new AP-NORC poll reveals that most Americans view the government shutdown as a serious issue, and they're placing blame across the board, as reported by AP.

About 6 in 10 Americans say Trump and congressional Republicans bear “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown. Meanwhile, 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress. The poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, shows that at least 75% of Americans believe each party shoulders at least a “moderate” level of blame, highlighting that no major player has escaped public scrutiny.

The poll finds that 54% of U.S. adults call the shutdown a “major issue,” with just 11% saying it is “not a problem at all.” Democrats are most likely, at 69%, to see it as a major problem, but 59% of independents and 37% of Republicans feel the same way.

At the heart of the government shutdown is a deadlock over federal tax credits for individuals purchasing health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Democrats are pushing to extend the credits, while Republicans insist they’ll only negotiate on the matter after the government is reopened.

According to the AP-NORC poll, about 4 in 10 US adults support extending the tax credits, while only around 1 in 10 are firmly opposed. Notably, 42% say they have no opinion—indicating that a significant portion of the public isn’t closely tuned in to the central issue fueling the stalemate.

(With inputs from agencies)