Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Friday called a Democrat proposal to reopen the government a "non-starter," setting up continued gridlock on Capitol Hill as the government shutdown approaches 39 days long.

Senate Democrats on Friday unveiled a new proposal to reopen the government that would have passed a clean short-term funding bill while negotiations continue on a bipartisan spending package.

It called for extending existing Affordable Care Act tax credits for one year to prevent major increases in health insurance costs next year, and would have established a bipartisan committee to pursue longer-term reforms aimed at reducing health care costs.

But Leader Thune said seeking any agreement on health care would be premature.

"Thats what were going to negotiate once the government opens up," he said.

After the Democrats' proposal fizzled, there were few signs of obvious progress.

Were back to square one, said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA).

The Senate will remain in session over the weekend while negotiations continue.

President Donald Trump has urged the chamber to continue negotiations until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown.

Pressure to end the shutdown is mounting. Millions of Americans could soon see interruptions in SNAP food assistance, and major airports are reporting delays as unpaid TSA officers and air traffic controllers call out sick at higher rates.

PREVIOUS REPORTING | Government shutdown is now longest on record as it enters day 36

Filibuster debate complicates shutdown resolution

Trump has renewed calls to eliminate the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to pass most legislation. Removing this threshold would allow Republicans to pass government funding with a simple 51-vote majority.

However, several Republican senators oppose changing the filibuster rules.

"I don't want to change the filibuster rule simply because every time parties change and you have different presidents in different parties, you'll have wild swings in policy and it'd be very disruptive to the country," Senator Lindsey Graham said.

Republicans worry that eliminating the filibuster could allow Democrats to restore Roe v. Wade, admit Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico as states, and potentially add four Democratic senators to the chamber.

Democrats previously attempted to remove the filibuster during Joe Biden's presidency to restore abortion rights but were blocked by then-Democratic moderates Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, both of whom have since retired.

Thune has stated Republicans lack the votes to change the filibuster rule, despite continued pressure from Trump.

The federal government shutdown stretched into day 37 Thursday, marking the longest in U.S. history. Talks of a potential bipartisan agreement are emerging among some senators, though the path forward remains unclear.

Some Democrats are advocating for a one-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits to end the shutdown, while others want the credits permanently extended as part of a broader deal to reopen the government. Many Republicans have said they will not consider those proposals unless Democrats first agree to reopen federal agencies.

However, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Conn., one of the lawmakers involved in negotiations, told Scripps News he is optimistic that discussions are heading in the right direction.

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"The off ramp is for the president to get involved and to say to [House] Speaker [Mike] Johnson, 'bring the House back in, add a one-year extension to the Affordable Care Act tax credits,' and we could be, I suspect we could open within the hour," Coons said.

"So many of us want to see the shutdown end and don't see our leaders talking directly," he added. "... For us to have any confidence about what the House will do, either the president has to get involved or Speaker Johnson has to say they're willing to actually engage."

Coons outlined two possible ways forward. The first is for President Trump to intervene. However, during a Thursday White House event focused on weight-loss drug costs, the president avoided the topic of the shutdown. He has largely left negotiations to Congress, seeking to push Senate Democrats to accept a Republican funding bill without direct talks.

The second option involves congressional leaders striking a deal but House Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday he would not agree to any backroom arrangement to reopen the government.

Questions remain about whether the Senate could move forward on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies and whether Johnson would bring such a proposal to the House floor. Until that happens, the shutdown is expected to continue.

Trump has suggested Republicans could end the shutdown by eliminating the Senate filibuster, a rule that requires 60 votes to limit debate and pass most legislation a threshold that allows Democrats to block GOP initiatives despite the partys 53-seat majority.

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Several Republicans told Scripps News they are open to discussing filibuster reforms, but most strongly oppose eliminating it. They warn that doing so could backfire if Democrats gain full control of Congress and the White House.

"I don't want to change the filibuster rule simply because every time parties change and you have different presidents and different parties, you'll have wild swings in policy and it'd be very disruptive to the country," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "I think the filibuster plays a role in terms of providing stability, requiring consensus. But having said that, the president is rightly frustrated with the pace of things and ... I'd like to see our Democratic friends help us more."

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who is retiring, told Scripps News that Republicans lack the votes to scrap the filibuster, making changes unlikely. GOP leaders also fear Democrats could use a filibuster-free Senate to grant statehood to Washington, D.C., and other U.S. territories, potentially adding more Democratic seats.

Eyes nationwide are on Tuesday's race for governor in New Jersey, where Republicans believe their candidate Jack Ciattarelli has a chance to beat the odds and upset Democrat Mikie Sherill, who holds a slight lead in the polls.

Passaic County, New Jersey, was reliably Democratic county until the 2024 election, when President Donald Trump was able to flip it from blue to red. Now, Democrats are hoping to reverse that change.

The population is heavily Latino, whose voters propelled Trump to victory in the county.

Democratic canvassers were outside polling places in downtown Passaic City Tuesday, handing out flyers with information on their candidates listed in Spanish.

Voters told Scripps News they believe it's more important now than ever, even in an off year election, to come out and support their candidates.

"It's been hell," one voter said of President Donald Trump's second term in office so far. "So hopefully everybody within the state of Jersey still votes blue to try to change things around. Hopefully better for everybody."

The high cost of living in New Jersey, where property taxes are some of the highest in the nation, are at center stage in the race.

Some voters told Scripps News they had reservations about Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate in the race, who had voted in the New Jersey state legislature to raise taxes several times.

But much of the race remains uncharted territory. Democrats have not won three consecutive terms for governor since 1961. Ciattarelli is running in his third consecutive race for governor.

Off year elections also suffer from lower turnout than U.S. presidential or midterm elections.

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Republicans nationally warned that they were concerned about election integrity in this year's contests. New Jersey's Republican Party requested monitors from the U.S. Department of Justice.

"We're going to have election integrity efforts all over this state," KC Crosbie, Republican National Committee co-chair, told Scripps News. "Whatever we have to do to protect the vote, we're going to protect the vote, because we found in 2024 that when we do that, we win elections."

Republicans have called the possibility of election monitors common sense measures. Democrats have warned that the presence of such monitors could intimidate voters.

Scripps News has not seen evidence of election monitors in Passaic City. Election rules require monitors, members of the media and canvassers all maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from the entrance of polling locations.

Senators are leaving the nations capital without passing a bill to reopen the government, leaving funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, hanging in the balance.

The Senate adjourned Thursday afternoon and will not return until Monday.

Republicans, who control the chamber, said remaining in session would not change anything.

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We have bent over backwards, voted 13 times to try to open the government with current funding, said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. Staying another weekend, hoping the Democrats will come to the table, is going to be a waste of time.

The stalemate between Republicans and Democrats has dragged on for nearly a month, largely over health care policy. Republicans want to reopen the government first and debate health care later, while Democrats are demanding concessions tied to expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.

RELATED STORY | Senate rejects competing bills to pay federal workers amid government shutdown

Open enrollment for ACA plans, also known as Obamacare, begins Nov. 1. On Wednesday, the window shopping period began for Americans in 30 states that rely on the federal exchange, HealthCare.gov. Consumers can now preview their 2026 plan costs, but those prices assume Congress will extend the subsidies. If lawmakers fail to act, premiums could rise significantly.

Meanwhile, the federal government said it will no longer be able to fund SNAP as of Saturday. More than two dozen states have sued to force the Trump administration to use emergency funds to keep the program running.

The federal government shutdown has now stretched into its 24th day with no clear path forward, as lawmakers remain deadlocked and the impacts on American families continue to escalate on multiple fronts.

The Senate adjourned yesterday afternoon after failing to reach an agreement to reopen the government, with members not scheduled to return until Monday evening. The lack of momentum on Capitol Hill has left negotiations completely stalled.

A bipartisan lunch held yesterday among lawmakers did not produce any breakthrough toward ending the shutdown, highlighting the deep divisions that persist between the parties.

SNAP benefits at risk for millions

The shutdown's effects are expanding beyond federal employees, with dozens of states announcing that SNAP benefits will run out on November 1 due to lack of government funding. This development threatens to leave millions of Americans without critical food assistance.

RELATED STORY | SNAP recipients brace for possible delay in benefits due to government shutdown

The looming SNAP crisis has created a difficult choice for Democrats on Capitol Hill. They must decide whether to continue fighting for Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, which expire at the end of this year, or vote to reopen the government to prevent the loss of food assistance programs.

If the ACA subsidies expire, millions of Americans could lose their health insurance coverage.

Lawmakers weigh difficult decisions

Senator Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, expressed concern about the potential SNAP benefit cuts affecting his state.

"In Illinois there are 1.9 million who receive SNAP and if we don't get this resolved by November 1st, there's questions whether they'll get any payment at all," Durbin said.

When asked if he would change his vote to reopen the government if SNAP benefits expire, Durbin remained noncommittal.

"We'll see," Durbin said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has downplayed the possibility of Democrats changing their position based on the SNAP deadline.

The prospect of millions of Americans suddenly losing access to critical food assistance during an ongoing shutdown raises questions about whether this development could shift the political calculus on Capitol Hill as the effects on the American people continue to worsen.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.