Senate Republicans predict the government shutdown could end as soon as Thursday after key elections ended in New York, New Jersey, Virginia and California. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said he personally knows Democrats who have been willing to vote to fund the government since last week, but were told by Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to wait, allegedly so that the Democratic base would remain energized.
What Republicans say
“There’s enough Democrats that I’m friends with that were willing to vote last week, and they were assured that Schumer would let them vote the way they need to this week, if they would just wait until after the election,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told reporters Tuesday. “Now, how the Democrats tried to spin it, I don’t know what their spin will be, but I’m sure they’re going to spin it. They’re really good at messaging.”
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Straight Arrow News (SAN) asked Schumer’s office for a response to Mullin’s statement but did not receive a response. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sent a letter to President Donald Trump Wednesday morning saying they were ready to negotiate anytime, anywhere.
“We write to demand a bipartisan meeting of legislative leaders to end the GOP shutdown of the federal government and decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis,” the Democratic leaders wrote.
Mullin is not the only Republican who believes more Democrats will vote to reopen the government now that the elections are over.
“They’ve got elections this week, and the elections will be over with, so they will have turned out their base,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said. “I think that makes it a little bit easier for them now to come back in and actually get something done.”
What Democrats say
Throughout the shutdown, three Democrats have been voting to approve the continuing resolution (CR) that would temporarily fund the government, bringing the tally to 55-45. Five more Democrats have to vote in favor of the CR in order to hit the 60 votes needed for approval.
The Democrats who are expected to flip represent “purple” states, where voting against government funding could be used against them in the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats who represent safe blue states appear to be holding fast.
“What have we done to endure all of this inconvenience and some pain if we don’t accomplish something for the American people?” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. “I sense and sympathize with the hurt that people are feeling. But the greater hurt is to go without health insurance, and that has to be the goal, rather than just capitulate and walking away.”
“My view on this is that we are in this fight for people who have no voice, who have no lobbyists, and who are literally making decisions — do they keep their health insurance, or do they figure out how to pay rent,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said.
What’s next
Republican leaders in the House and Senate are currently negotiating how long the continuing resolution should last. The CR that’s been under consideration since before the government shut down only provides funding through November 21. That date is no longer feasible, given the shutdown has gone on for close to five weeks now.
The new dates under consideration include the end of December, the end of January, and even as late as March.
