The shutdown entered its second day on Thursday without any sign of a breakthrough, as congressional leaders seemed resigned to the impasse stretching into the following week.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune informed reporters that it was “unlikely” senators would remain in Washington through the weekend, while House Speaker Mike Johnson declared that Republicans had “nothing to negotiate.”
The standoff has solidified around Democrats’ initiative to prolong Affordable Care Act subsidies that are expiring, which they claim are crucial for maintaining stable premiums for millions of Americans. Republicans have unequivocally rejected including these subsidies in a temporary funding bill, insisting that the government must first be reopened before any policy discussions can occur. This dispute has stalled negotiations, leaving agencies scrambling to close offices and prepare for potential layoffs.
The Senate is anticipated to reconsider the Republican-backed measure again Friday, but it still requires at least five more votes for passage. “Should that fail, we’ll give them the weekend to think about it,” Thune told reporters. “Then we’ll return and vote on Monday.”
Johnson dismissed any discussion of compromise, telling journalists on Thursday: “I quite literally have nothing to negotiate.”
Their comments suggest that Republicans largely maintain a united front in their refusal to make concessions—and appear comfortable with the escalating disruptions—even as polling data largely indicates that more voters hold President Donald Trump and Republicans responsible for the shutdown. This early information has emboldened Democrats, who seem committed to their strategy and have shown no signs of backing down despite Trump’s repeated threats to dismiss federal workers and reduce benefits that Democrats have long championed.
Trump met Thursday with his budget director to discuss “temporary or permanent” spending cuts, including extensive layoffs of federal workers, extending beyond the furloughs that typically accompany shutdowns. The Trump Administration has already acted to withhold billions of dollars from infrastructure and green energy projects in states won by former Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of deliberately leveraging the shutdown as a weapon. “Trump’s so-called ‘maximum pain’ plan isn’t hurting Democrats—it’s hurting American families,” he stated.
Yet beneath the façade of Republican unity, some divisions are apparent. Senator Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, proposed a one-year extension of the health care subsidies during a Senate floor vote on Wednesday, an idea that attracted interest from Democrats and some ordinary Republican members. While far from a significant breakthrough, it hinted at a potential resolution should the shutdown continue.
Nevertheless, the path forward remains uncertain. Federal agencies could soon lay off substantial portions of their workforce, while others deemed essential will remain on the job without pay. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that as many as 750,000 workers could be furloughed on any given day, resulting in $400 million in daily wages lost.
