Shutdown Day 37: Senate Republicans set up vote on short-term spending bill

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are teeing up a Friday vote on a short-term spending bill to reopen the U.S. government, as small glimmers of progress started to emerge on Thursday, Day 37, of the longest-running shutdown.

Republicans are looking to pair votes on the short-term spending bill with three separate longer-term appropriations bills, in the hopes of luring more moderate Senate Democratic votes, Republican sources told CBS News.

Three Democrats crossed party lines in previous votes for the short-term spending bills, but Republicans need at least five more to cross the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster-proof threshold.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) signaled his willingness to keep senators working through the weekend to reach a deal. Thune, who over the past month has typically dismissed the chamber for the weekend, told reporters he would keep the chamber open "if there is a path forward."

Senate Democrats, who continue to press for an extension of soon-to-expire Affordable Care Act tax credits in exchange for their support, met behind closed doors for nearly two hours, but said little to reporters after the meeting about their next moves.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters it was a "very good, productive meeting."

Friday’s vote is not expected to include a vote on the health care subsidies demanded by Democrats, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters Thursday he could not promise that a vote on the issue would be scheduled in the House, which has been in recess since mid-September.

“I’m not promising anybody anything. I’m going to let this process play out,” Johnson said at a news conference.

Looking to break some of gridlock over the health subsidies issue, a pair of freshman Senate Democrats — Andy Kim, of New Jersey, and Lisa Blunt Rochester, of Delaware — are in talks with a pair of moderate House Republicans — Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania, and Jeff Van Drew, of New Jersey — to discuss a deal that would allow for a separate vote on the extension in both chambers, according to Politico.

Also Thursday, a federal court judge ordered the Trump administration to fully fund the federal food assistance program SNAP, but the Justice Department indicated it will appeal the ruling, as nearly 42 million Americans enrolled in the program await their monthly payment that was due Nov. 1.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) blasted the Trump administration’s push to appeal. In a statement, she said Trump is “doing everything he can to make sure that hungry people can’t get food while sending $40 billion to Argentina and spending $300 million to remodel the White House. It’s absolutely unconscionable.”

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.