Congress is just days away from a significant escalation of shutdown pain. But with President Donald Trump in Asia all week, there’s little hope of an immediate breakthrough.
Come Nov. 1, SNAP benefits will be halted for over 40 million people, troops will miss their next paychecks and millions of Americans will see sharp premium hikes as they start shopping for Affordable Care Act health plans. The air travel system also appears to be at growing risk of meltdown, with understaffing causing delays through the weekend.
But with Trump overseas negotiating foreign investments and peace efforts, the question on Capitol Hill is whether any progress can be made toward resolving the crisis before he returns and reengages in domestic affairs.
Senators are exploring ways to ease shutdown burdens this week. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said he may try to seek unanimous consent on a bill to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for the duration of the shutdown.
SNAP food aid has never lapsed in modern history, even during shutdowns, but the Trump administration concluded in a Friday memo that it can’t tap a contingency fund or other nutrition programs to cover the $9 billion in monthly food benefits.
Other “rifle shot” bills addressing particular pain points that could come up on the floor this week include one from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to pay air traffic controllers and another from Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) to pay troops.
The most promising effort right now — and it’s still a long shot — is a potential compromise to pay federal workers and active-duty members of the military. Democrats rejected a bill by GOP Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.) Thursday but he and Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) said they would talk about finding common ground. Those discussions are ongoing, two people granted anonymity to discuss the private conversations tell POLITICO.
“Something is going to have to come from the rank and file,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told POLITICO last week, dismissing Democrats’ insistence that Trump swoop in and broker a deal.
Still, there’s no sign most Democrats are ready to abandon their position until Republicans negotiate a deal to extend enhanced ACA subsidies past the end of the year.
“Right now both sides think they are winning and that’s not fertile ground for any kind of change, right?” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told POLITICO. “So we’ll see once the next set of paychecks go unpaid whether or not increased pressure comes up.”
What else we’re watching:
— Jeffries talks redistricting in Illinois: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is scheduled to visit Illinois Monday to talk to members of the Illinois Black Caucus about redrawing the state’s congressional map. Some of them have been outspoken against the idea, fearing it will dilute Black political power.
Jeffries will have to address those concerns quickly: Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield this week for the annual fall veto session, and redistricting could get added to the agenda.
— Dems force votes in the Senate: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats are forcing votes on three resolutions this week to rebuke Trump’s sweeping global tariffs and his tariffs on Canadian and Brazilian goods. This would be the first time the Senate votes on the tariffs on the Brazil tariffs resolution.
Democrats will also be able to force a vote on a war powers resolution from Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Adam Schiff of California in the coming days that would block military strikes on Venezuela without authorization from Congress. It follows a previously failed effort to curtail Trump’s maritime strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers in the Caribbean.
Jordain Carney, Meredith Lee Hill, Grace Yarrow and Shia Kapos contributed to this report.
