- Senate Republicans privately discuss extending current funding levels through December 2026, pushing budget negotiations past the next presidential election—an unprecedented move signaling desperation.
- Despite unpaid federal workers and service disruptions, Democrats refuse to yield, leveraging the shutdown to push Affordable Care Act subsidies and other priorities.
- While some Republicans (like Rep. Chip Roy) support a long-term CR if Trump enforces fiscal discipline, defense hawks warn it would cripple Pentagon planning and hardliners oppose it as fiscally irresponsible.
- Democrats see an advantage in prolonging the shutdown, with polls showing rising approval among their base, while Republicans face midterm pressure to resolve the crisis before elections.
- With the Nov. 21 deadline looming, negotiations remain deadlocked—Republicans debate short-term extensions vs. multiyear CRs, while Democrats distrust GOP promises of future talks.
As the federal government shutdown enters its third week with no resolution in sight, Senate Republicans are privately discussing a surprising concession: extending current funding levels through December 2026—an unprecedented move that would push budget negotiations past the next presidential election.
The shutdown, which began on Oct. 1 after Senate Democrats repeatedly blocked a House-passed continuing resolution (CR), has left federal workers unpaid and critical services disrupted. Republicans initially hoped Democrats would relent under public pressure, but Democratic resolve has hardened instead—particularly around demands to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at year's end.
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) revealed to Bloomberg TV that some Republicans are considering a CR stretching into late 2026.
"I've been hearing this conversation from senators, from House members, that a CR not just for a year, but to Dec. 1 of next year," Smith said. "I strongly support a longer-term continuing resolution... I think that would allow more stability for our economy, stability for the American people."
However, divisions remain within the GOP. Hardline conservatives, who typically oppose long-term CRs as fiscally irresponsible, have signaled openness—but only if tied to assurances from President Donald Trump, whom many trust to enforce spending discipline.
"If we can have a long-term CR so we have guaranteed funding at current levels, but we've got Donald Trump and the strong leadership over the executive branch using taxpayer funds wisely, then that's a good position to be in," said Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX).
Meanwhile, defense hawks warn that locking in funding would hamstring Pentagon planning. House Appropriations Committee staff told The Hill they remain committed to "regular order" budget talks rather than stopgaps.
Democrats, sensing political advantage, have refused to yield. Senate Democrats have filibustered 11 Republican funding bills, with only three crossing party lines to support GOP measures.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) openly framed the shutdown as strategic leverage: "Shutdowns are terrible... But it is one of the few leverage times we have—it is an inflection point in this budget process where we have tried to get the Republicans to meet with us and prioritize the American people."
Republicans blasted the tactic.
"This isn't about leverage. This isn't a political game. It's about people's lives," Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told NBC News.
Historical precedent and political stakes
Government shutdowns have historically ended when public frustration forces compromise—but this stalemate defies norms. The 2013 and 2018-2019 shutdowns lasted 16 and 35 days, respectively, before bipartisan deals were struck.
This time, Democrats appear emboldened by polling showing their base approves of their hardline stance. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, a Quinnipiac survey found Democratic voter approval of Congress rose from 41 percent in June to 58 percent in October.
Republicans, meanwhile, face mounting pressure to resolve the crisis before the midterm elections. Some, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), argue Trump should broker a deal: "We do need the president... There has not been an effort to say this is how we end the shutdown on a bipartisan basis."
With the Nov. 21 deadline looming—and half that time already wasted—Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) admitted the current House bill is "more and more irrelevant." Discussions now center on whether to propose a short-term extension into January or gamble on a multiyear CR.
For now, both sides remain entrenched. As Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) put it: "I don't trust Republicans when they say, 'You concede, open the government, and then we'll talk.' That's just talk."
With federal workers facing mounting financial strain and public services eroding, the political calculus may soon shift. But for now, Washington's budget war shows no sign of ending—and the GOP's surprising long-term funding gambit underscores just how desperate the situation has become.
Watch this video that brings you on a trip down government shutdown memory lane.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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