
Weekend Session Gets Off To Slow Start In Senate As Lawmakers Look For A Way Out Of Shutdown
HuffPost
The Senate’s first weekend session since the shutdown began has yielded few signs of progress.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate’s first weekend session since the beginning of the shutdown yielded few signs of progress Saturday as Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s wish for a quick vote never materialized.
The impasse that has lasted 39 days is taking an increasing toll on the country as federal workers go unpaid, airlines cancel flights and SNAP benefits have been delayed for millions of Americans.
Saturday’s session got off to a rough start when President Donald Trump made clear he is unlikely to compromise any time soon with Democrats who are seeking a one-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. He said on social media that it is “the worst Healthcare anywhere in the world” and suggested Congress send money directly to people to buy insurance.
Thune said Trump’s proposal would not be part of a solution to ending the shutdown, but added “it is a discussion that the president and all of us want to have.” Republican senators who spoke on the Senate floor Saturday generally echoed Trump’s assessment.
“I guarantee you every day we keep this system in place is a great day for the health care insurance companies who have been making out literally like bandits every day under Obamacare,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.













