President Donald Trump appeared to gain leverage in the ongoing government funding standoff Thursday after Senate Democrats sought to link a funding deal to an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies.
What began as an effort by Democrats to pressure Republicans during the shutdown negotiations has shifted in Trump’s favor, following a new proposal he unveiled on Truth Social.
In his post, the president announced a plan to redirect hundreds of billions of dollars in Obamacare subsidy payments from insurance companies to direct payments for American citizens.
“I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over,” Trump wrote.
“In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare. Unrelated, we must still terminate the Filibuster!” he added.
The action surprised Democrats, who had just a day earlier demanded a one-year extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies as part of a deal to reopen the government. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer framed the proposal as “a reasonable offer that reopens the government, deals with health care affordability and begins a process of negotiating reforms,” but Republicans rejected it outright, knowing that Schumer was using the proposal as a midterm election issue aimed at trapping the GOP and energizing Democratic voters.
“The Obamacare extension is the negotiation,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), said.
Conservative commentators lauded the proposal as “genius,” noting that the former president has effectively recast himself as an advocate for direct-to-consumer healthcare freedom. They said the plan reframes the debate as “healthcare for the people” versus the Democrats’ defense of “big insurance.”
Shortly after Trump’s post, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) announced that he was working on legislation to turn the proposal into reality.
“Totally agree, @POTUS! I’m writing the bill right now,” Scott said. “We must stop taxpayer money from going to insurance companies and instead give it directly to Americans in HSA-style accounts and let them buy the health care they want. This will increase competition & drive down costs.”
The Senate held a session on Friday to consider a potential deal to end the record-breaking government shutdown, now nearing its 40th day, as Trump renewed his push for Republicans to eliminate the filibuster — a move he argues is essential to reopen the government and advance the GOP agenda.
According to Politico, Senate Majority Leader John Thune was working to finalize an agreement with Democratic leaders that would amend the House-passed continuing resolution to include three full-year appropriations bills, potentially extending funding through next January.
The plan is designed to draw enough Democratic support to reach the 60 votes currently required under Senate rules.
The shutdown, which began in late September, is the longest in modern U.S. history — surpassing the 34-day closure that occurred during Trump’s first term. With federal workers unpaid for more than a month and vital programs running on emergency reserves, pressure is mounting on lawmakers to strike a deal.
Republican leaders believe the new offer — combining short-term government funding with a package of full-year spending measures — could entice moderate Democrats to vote in favor of reopening the government.
Thune told reporters he hopes the proposal will win bipartisan backing but acknowledged that “the outcome is not guaranteed.”
Finalizing the agreement could take several days due to procedural delays and expected objections from both sides.
When asked whether senators would remain in Washington through the weekend, Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) replied, “Yes,” signaling that leadership intends to keep the chamber in session until a resolution is reached.
