US President Donald Trump appeared to offer an opening for negotiations with Democrats over healthcare subsidies to end the ongoing government shutdown — before quickly reversing his position.
The shutdown, now in its seventh day, stems from a bitter dispute over healthcare policy and federal funding. Trump blamed Democrats for the stalemate, saying in a post on Truth Social that they must first allow the government to reopen before any “substantive” discussions can begin.
“I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open. In fact, they should open our Government tonight!” Trump wrote Monday evening.
Just hours earlier, during an Oval Office briefing, the president had suggested that talks with Democrats were underway and could “lead to very good things” in healthcare reform. His remarks briefly raised hopes of a potential breakthrough.
But those claims were swiftly rejected by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said no such discussions were taking place.
“This isn’t true,” Schumer said in a statement on X. “If Republicans are finally ready to sit down and get something done on healthcare for American families, Democrats will be there – ready to make it happen.”
The standoff continued on Capitol Hill as the Senate once again failed to pass a temporary funding bill to keep the government open. The Republican-backed measure, which would extend spending through November, fell short of the 60 votes required, with a tally of 52 to 42.
A Democratic alternative, proposing to extend funding until October 31 while making key healthcare subsidies permanent, also failed in a largely party-line vote of 45 to 55.
Democrats are pushing for renewed funding for Medicaid assistance and for extending expiring federal healthcare subsidies before the new enrolment period begins in November.
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According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, if those subsidies lapse, premiums could more than double for millions of Americans who currently rely on government-assisted healthcare coverage.
For now, both parties remain deadlocked, with no clear sign of compromise. The federal government remains partially shut, affecting hundreds of thousands of workers and delaying critical public services nationwide.
