Thune says vote on health care subsidies possible, but only after government reopens

Amna Nawaz:

It is day nine of the government shutdown. Formal negotiations are at a standstill, but, this afternoon, the Senate's majority leader, John Thune, offered his Democratic colleagues a potential off-ramp. We spoke about it earlier today.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, we know it's an extraordinarily busy day. Thank you so much for making the time to join us back here on the "News Hour."

Sen. John Thune (R-SD):

Great to be with you. Thanks, Amna.

Amna Nawaz:

So I want to start by asking you about some news. It was reported earlier you told Semafor that you're considering offering Democrats a vote on extending those health care subsidies they have been asking for as a possible off-ramp to this government shutdown.

What can you tell us about that potential offer and if you have enough Democratic support to move it forward?

Sen. John Thune:

Well, I think, at the end of the day, Amna, what's going to have to happen is, it's going to take Democrats to open up the government.

And I have said, give us the votes to open up the government. Then we will have a conversation about some of these issues that you want to discuss. And I think health care is certainly something that we are anxious to talk about as well. And I think if giving them a potential vote on something in the future is a way for them to be able to go to their people and say, this is something that we got in exchange, then maybe that's what ultimately helps open up the government.

But, at the current time, none of this happens absent them voting to reopen the government. We understand, and I have said this all along, happy to have that conversation about some of these other issues, but open up the government first, quit taking it hostage, and let's get the American people and the federal workers, let's get them back to work.

Amna Nawaz:

But if guaranteeing them a vote on those health care subsidies is enough to get them on board to reopen the government, are you willing to offer that? Is that what I'm hearing?

Sen. John Thune:

Well, what I'm saying is, show me 10 votes. Actually, all we need is five, really, five Democrats to vote with us. As you know, it's passed in the House. The president will sign it. All — we have got 55 senators currently, a majority of the United States Senate, who have voted multiple times now to open up the government. We need five more, ideally 10.

But bring to me the number of Democrats who will help us get the government opened up again and we can have that discussion.

Amna Nawaz:

You have heard, of course, some of this dissent even among your own Republican Conference, concerns about those health care subsidies expiring and people's premiums going up at the end of the year. Most notably, we heard from Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said that she's — quote — "disgusted" that health insurance premiums are going to go up, as they will.

We have also heard some openness and willingness to talking about those subsidies from others in your conference, like Senators Sullivan and Lankford and Capito. So have you been hearing more frequently or more vocally some of that concern from among your fellow Republicans to act on this issue?

Sen. John Thune:

Well, I will tell you, I think we all want to do what we can to lower health care costs to make health care more accessible and more affordable.

The issue that's been raised, although there are many issues, honestly, the proposal, the counterproposal the Democrats put forward had $1.5 trillion in new spending in it, in addition to — or, I should say, included in this was the premium tax credit issue, which is about a $400 billion item.

What we have said is, if there's a path forward on that, it has to include reforms. Right now, there's no income limit. They took that off when they passed the enhanced subsidies a few years ago. And, remember, this doesn't affect the base Obamacare program. That stays intact.

And so there's just things structurally that make this program inflationary. We want to drive health care costs down, not see them go up. And I think that, in order to do that, you're going to have to come up with some reasonable reforms to that program. But that's something, as I said, we are willing to have that conversation. We just need a half-a-dozen Democrats to open up the government.

Amna Nawaz:

We should also just point out here those credits do expire at the end of the year, right? Health care enrollment begins on November 1. So I hear you saying you're willing to have the conversation, but in order for this to have an impact on people's lives, what is the Republican plan that would need to go into effect relatively soon to keep those subsidies from going away and keep those costs from going up?

Sen. John Thune:

Well, I think, the sooner we get the government open, the sooner we can start working on that issue. And

I think there are Republican ideas out there, reform ideas, and we have got some Republicans who have been having those conversations too. But I think in terms of where the Democrats are — and this is why I have indicated that if it's helpful to them at some point that we would have a vote on perhaps their proposal or our proposal or both proposals or something like that, we're open to suggestions.

But, right now, we have got a government that's shut down. We have got military pay, people who aren't going to get paid starting early next week, air traffic controllers who aren't getting paid, Border Patrol agents who aren't getting paid. And let's start by opening up the government.

And then I'm perfectly willing, as I have said, to enter into that discussion and perhaps create an opportunity, a path forward where there could be some votes on some of these things in the future.

Amna Nawaz:

Do you see this shutdown extending into next week? Should a lot of these federal workers, military troops expect to not get that next paycheck?

Sen. John Thune:

Well, I — it's up to the Democrats really. Again, it all takes us five. We have got 55 senators, the majority of the 100 senators, majority in the House. The president is willing to sign the bill into law.

And all it does, all that has to happen is we pick up the bill off the Senate desk, five Democrats join us, in addition to those who already have, and the government opens up again. And then you don't have that discussion. Everybody gets paid again. That's the best way to end this.

But I hope that happens. We're going to have another vote tomorrow. They will have another opportunity to vote. And if it doesn't get done tomorrow, we will have another vote on Tuesday. And they will have another opportunity then to vote to open up the government.

But you can't take the government, federal government hostage. This is something that is routine. At least it has been in the past. We need to do a short-term funding extension. And the one that we put together is — it's nonpartisan, has no policy riders, no Republican priorities in there.

It has a straightforward funding resolution to keep the government open until such time as we can complete and finish the appropriations process, and, by the way, something that, when the Democrats had the majority the last four years, and while Biden was president, they did 13 different times. So this is just a — this is a hijacking of a process that should be very straightforward.

And you shouldn't take a hostage like federal workers. If the issue is to have that discussion on all these other issues, then, like I said, I have expressed a willingness to do that. And the Democrats should take yes for an answer.

Amna Nawaz:

I know you have talked about wanting to take the politics out of this situation, but I want to put to you also what we have seen from the White House, from the administration in this moment, which is to say withholding federal funds, but only from Democrat-led cities and states.

The president in the Cabinet meeting today said: "We're only cutting Democrat programs." He said: "They wanted to do this, so we will give them a taste of their own medicine."

I know you say the Democrats are playing politics, but isn't that exactly what the White House is doing as well?

Sen. John Thune:

Well, again, it all ends — open up the government, and then none of this happens.

I think it's — any administration faced with a government shutdown, when they have to move resources around and decide which departments and which agencies are going to stay open and which employees are essential and which ones should get paid, et cetera, obviously, they're going to — it's going to reflect their priorities.

Amna Nawaz:

Well, Leader Thune, to be clear, this wasn't about funding for essential workers or government programs. This was literally cutting transit or infrastructure programs in Democrat cities and states. Is that something you support?

Sen. John Thune:

If you're going to make decisions about where money goes, and, obviously, you are a Republican administration, you're probably going to have some priorities that might differ if you had a Democrat administration and be looking at different projects in different places around the country.

I don't think the process ought to be politicized, but then I don't think that shutdowns ought to be politicized. And that's exactly what's happened here. I mean, you had Chuck Schumer yesterday in a sit-down interview saying things get better for us by the day.

You get people who are going to be without pay, already starting without pay tomorrow, and then when the troops hit next week — and, like I said, these are people who are important to the safety and security of the American people. And they're not getting paid. At the same time, the Democrat leader in the United States Senate is saying this is getting better for us by the day.

And this isn't a political game. These are people's lives. And, yes, we need to get the government open, and then all these questions that you're asking about where the administration prioritizes where they spend the money becomes a moot issue.

Amna Nawaz:

At the same time, when you look at how Americans are viewing this, I'm sure you have seen this latest polling from during the shutdown. An Economist/YouGov poll showed that 41 percent of people currently blame President Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown. Only 30 percent say that they blame Democrats.

So they see both sides is dug in, but they also see only one party is controlling the House, the Senate and the White House. What do you say to that?

Sen. John Thune:

The House has acted. Senate Republicans have acted and the president's ready to act.

The only holdup right now is a handful of Democrats to give us the supermajority, the 60 votes that are necessary in the Senate to get this done. It's not a function right now — and, frankly, it shouldn't be about the blame game or who gets blamed. Government shutdowns hurt everybody.

And it doesn't matter who gets blamed. That's what — that — it shouldn't be about politics. It ought to be about you know what's in the best interest the American people, and that's getting the government open again.

Amna Nawaz:

That is Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Leader Thune, we know it's a very busy time for you. We always appreciate you making the time. Thank you again.

Sen. John Thune:

Thanks, Amna.