Democrats encouraged to ‘hold the line’ in talks with Republicans as shutdown enters 37th day

The longest government shutdown in history is now in its 37th day, though lawmakers, currently in talks, could be coming closer to a deal to end the standoff.

Some Democratic lawmakers, though, saw Tuesday’s big electoral wins as evidence they should hold the line and extract as much as possible from Republicans, most critically extending health insurance subsidies that, without intervention, will drastically increase costs for millions of Americans.

A deal could be close on funding bills for a few agencies, dubbed “minibus” bills, that could break some of the logjam, but it’s unclear when or if these measures will gain the needed support to move ahead, Politico reports.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is trying to ramp up pressure by saying they will cut flights by 10% at 40 major airports on Friday because of concerns over air traffic control as federal employees aren’t getting paid. The flight reductions will affect air travel and make the shutdown more visible for many Americans.

Bryan Bedford, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administrator, said Wednesday the reductions were novel in his history with aviation: “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”

An ongoing legal battle over food stamps has also created confusion for people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), with Donald Trump claiming he won’t be using other funds to send out payments, despite a court ordering the administration to continue the program. The White House has since clarified that recipients should get partial funds, which could be delayed.

Richard Blumenthal, a Democratic senator from Connecticut, told Politico it would be a “betrayal” to end the shutdown without these concessions. “We are winning the hearts and minds of the American people,” he said. “We’ve come this far and the American people seem to be with us.”

Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, also told Democrats not to cave on Wednesday, while some moderates have sought to figure out a way to cut a deal. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, has called on his party to “hold the line”.

Trump said Republicans should vote to end the filibuster, which allows a minority of 41 senators to prevent most pieces of legislation from passing, and surge forward with reopening the government without Democrats. Republican senators have pushed back on the idea, and Trump doesn’t appear to have the needed votes to get rid of the filibuster.

John Thune, the Senate majority leader, told the Daily Caller: “There just aren’t the votes in the Senate, and for that matter, not even close.”

Trump also told Republican senators, after Democratic wins in Tuesday’s elections, that the shutdown was a “big factor, negative for the Republicans” in putting Democrats ahead electorally.

Furloughed federal workers have said they feel bullied by the Trump administration over the shutdown, as the president has said he may not pay workers back pay for the shutdown period as is customary.