参议院多数党领袖约翰·图恩(John Thune)表示，他为民主党人提供了一个解决他们最大的优先事项的机会，以结束政府关闭——但这不足以结束僵局。
图恩，在MSNBC的一次采访中他说，他已经向民主党人提出就延长患者保护与平价医疗法案保费补贴进行投票，但他不能保证结果。图恩说，在政府重新开放之前，他不会就奥巴马医改补贴协议的细节进行谈判。
“我已经告诉他们了。我说过，我也说过，‘我们愿意进行对话。’我说过，‘如果你需要投票，我们可以保证你在某个特定的日期获得投票。’在某种程度上，民主党人不得不接受“是”的答案，”图恩在采访中说，这是周三录制的。
与此同时，参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默(Chuck Schumer)周四下午告诉记者，共和党人没有提出任何投票延长患者保护与平价医疗法案补贴的提议，这使得国会领导人在政府关门继续进行的过程中意见不一。
“听着，我们不是在公开场合谈判。简单明了，”舒默在被问及图恩是否提出了报价时说。"目前，图恩领导人还没有向我提出任何建议."
参议院民主党人一直要求对医疗保健进行修正，以避免许多中低收入美国人的保费飙升，以释放他们对政府资金的支持。随着政府关门进入第16天，民主党人一直坚定不移地坚持他们的要求。
周四，参议院第10次未能推进共和党的政府拨款法案。预计参议院将在当天晚些时候离开华盛顿，但确保政府关闭将至少持续到周一。
图恩在周四下午的投票中尝试了一种新的策略，对一项法案进行了程序性投票，该法案将为国防部提供整个日历年的资金，并确保军队的工资-然而，民主党人阻止了众议院继续就该法案进行辩论。
图恩在MSNBC表示，重新开放政府是继续讨论医疗改革的关键第一步。他致力于对话，但没有一个结果。
“我相信有一条前进的道路，但它必须包括改革，我能保证结果吗?不，这是人们希望看到的——向我们保证这一切都会过去。“我不能保证它会通过。我可以向你保证，会有一个过程，你会得到一张选票。”
在被问及图恩的评论时，议长迈克·约翰逊周四上午重申，医疗保健结果无法得到保证。
“领导人图恩不可能向查克·舒默保证在这方面取得一些成果，因为我们还没有完成那些审议。我的意思是，就这么简单，”约翰逊周四早上说。
图恩说，保持医疗保健费用低廉是两党的共同利益。图恩说，但是需要对该项目进行修改，关于这些修改的谈判要从开放政府开始。
共和党人坚称，在政府关闭期间，他们不会与民主党人谈判。但是民主党人不会被未来谈判的承诺所动摇，他们会推动一项解决医疗保健问题和重开政府的协议。
“就成本而言，美国人民正面临有史以来最具破坏性的危机之一我们还没有听说与约翰逊或图恩进行任何谈判，”舒默周四表示。
Thune无法保证关闭会很快结束。当被问及他是否认为这将在感恩节前结束时，图恩没有做出承诺。
“我希望这不会持续到感恩节，因为那会给美国人民带来很多伤害，”他说。
Thune says he offered Democrats a vote on Obamacare subsidies to end government shutdown
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he offered Democrats an opportunity to address their biggest priority in an effort to end the government shutdown -- but it was not enough to end the stalemate.
Thune,during an interview on MSNBCthat aired Thursday morning, said he has offered Democrats a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, but that he couldn't guarantee an outcome. Thune said he won't negotiate on the details of an Obamacare subsidies deal until the government reopens.
"I've told them. I said, and I've said, 'We are willing to have the conversation.' I've said, 'If you need a vote, we can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain.' At some point Democrats have to take yes for an answer," Thune said in the interview, which was taped Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Thursday afternoon that Republicans did not offer any proposal to vote to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, putting congressional leaders at odds as the shutdown continues.
"Look, we're not negotiating in public. Plain and simple," Schumer said when asked if Thune had made the offer."Leader Thune has not come to me with any proposal at this point."
Senate Democrats have been demanding fixes to health care to avoid a spike in premiums for many low- and middle-income Americans to unlock their support for funding the government. Democrats have been unwavering in their demands as the shutdown drags on into its 16th day.
The Senate on Thursday failed for a 10th time to advance the GOP's government funding bill. The Senate is expected to leave Washington later in the day, all but ensuring the government shutdown will last until at least Monday.
Thune tried a new tactic in a Thursday afternoon vote with a procedural vote on a bill that would fund the Department of Defense for the full calendar year and ensure paychecks for the troops -- however, Democrats blocked the chamber from moving forward on with debate on the bill.
Reopening the government is a crucial first step to continue discussions about reforms to health care, Thune said on MSNBC. He committed to conversations, but not an outcome.
"There is a path forward, I believe, but it has to include reforms, and can I guarantee an outcome? No. And that's what people want to see -- guarantee us that this is going to pass," Thune said."I can't guarantee it's going to pass. I can guarantee you that there will be a process and you will get a vote."
Asked about Thune's comments, Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated Thursday morning that no health care outcomes can be guaranteed.
"It's not possible for Leader Thune to guarantee to Chuck Schumer some outcome on that, because we haven't finished those deliberations. I mean, that's just as simple as it is,” Johnson said Thursday morning.
There is bipartisan interest, Thune said, in keeping health care costs down. But changes to the program need to be made, and negotiations on those changes start with opening the government, Thune said.
Republicans have maintained they will not negotiate with Democrats while the government is shut down. But Democrats are not swayed by the promise of negotiations in the future -- pushing for an agreement that addresses health care and also reopens the government.
"The American people are facing one of the most devastating crises they have faced in terms of cost, andwe still have not heard crickets of any negotiation with Johnson or with Thune," Schumer said Thursday.
Thune couldn't guarantee the shutdown would end any time soon. When asked if he thought it would be over by Thanksgiving, Thune didn't commit.
"I hope it doesn't last through Thanksgiving, because that's going to be a lot of harm to the American people," he said.
