Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is declining to rule out supporting Republicans’ short-term spending bill if leaders promise a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies later this year.
“There are a number of ways to get this done that should satisfy both sides,” Shaheen, a longtime sponsor of related legislation, told Semafor on Wednesday, following a roundtable with small business owners who rely on the subsidies. “I’m not going to draw a line in the sand and say it’s got to be this way or that way.”
Her comments point to an off-ramp for lawmakers seeking to avert a government shutdown next week: Senate Majority Leader John Thune told CNN the GOP’s proposal “enables us … to have discussions about other issues, like the premium tax credit issue.”
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., predicted 10 Senate Democrats would vote for the funding bill on Monday.