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By Thérèse Boudreaux | The Center Square
(Worthy News) – After a third week of making zero progress on a federal funding deal, lawmakers have headed home for the weekend with no hopes of ending the government shutdown anytime soon.
Hders guarantee an extension of the enhanced version of Obamacare Premium Tax Credits set to expire Dec. 31. They also voted down the 2026 Department of Defense appropriations bill, which would not have ended the government shutdown but would have ensured military servicemembers receive paychecks.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republican leaders have described Democrats’ tactics as “holding the government hostage.” Thune promised Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a discussion and a vote on Obamacare subsidies in exchange for opening the government. Schumer refused.
“I’m not sure how much clearer I can be, but let me give it a try. I am willing to sit down with Democrats to discuss the growing unaffordability and unsustainability of Obamacare. It’s a system they created, but I’m happy to hear them out,” Thune reiterated on X on Friday.
“Heck, I’m even willing to give them a vote. Today. Tomorrow. Next week. You name it. But there’s one condition: End the Schumer Shutdown,” he said. “I will not negotiate under hostage conditions, nor will I pay a ransom. Period.”
With hundreds of thousands of federal workers now furloughed and thousands more working without pay, Republicans have lost patience. The Trump administration has not only begun to permanently cut thousands of “nonessential” federal positions – which a federal judge recently blocked – but President Donald Trump has also said he plans to eliminate some government programs.
“[Democrats] made one mistake. They didn’t realize that [shutting down the government] gives me the right to cut programs that Republicans never wanted. You know, giveaways, welfare programs, etc… and we’re cutting them permanently,” Trump said on Fox News.
The longest the U.S. government ever remained shuttered was 35 days. Among other impacts, the current shutdown has shuttered major tax services, delayed air travel, disrupted disaster relief loans, and paused the processing of federal farm, home, and small business loans. The U.S. economy loses an estimated $15 billion in revenue every day the government remains closed.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
A prominent Christian preacher and activist known for his anti-war views has died in Russian custody, Worthy News learned Monday.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt message to Iran on Monday: the United States will not accept any arrangement in which Tehran acts as gatekeeper to the Strait of Hormuz — demanding coordination, permission, or payment from vessels wishing to pass through what are, by international law, open waters.
Jailed former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has withdrawn an appeal against a court ruling rejecting his request to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, marking another setback in the long-running 1MDB corruption saga.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump said a shooting that disrupted the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner underscored what he called the urgent need for a controversial new White House ballroom.
A period of mourning continued Monday in southwestern Colombia after at least 20 people were killed in a bus bombing along a key highway, officials said, in one of the deadliest recent attacks in the volatile region.
A part of northern Japan was hit by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake while elsewhere in the region wildfires were burning through more than 1,600 hectares of forest as of Monday morning, authorities and witnesses said.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday to allow Texas to implement its revised congressional map, overturning a lower court decision that had blocked the plan over racial gerrymandering concerns.
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
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