President Donald Trump on Sunday offered a bit more insight into his proposal that Obamacare subsidies should go directly to Americans' Health Savings Accounts to pay for health care rather than sending funds to insurance companies through the Affordable Care Act.
Meanwhile, the Senate voted Sunday night on a test vote that would fund the government through Jan. 31 and end the 40-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. Enough Democrats voted to pass the bill.
And the Department of Agriculture in a late Saturday night memo ordered states to reverse any steps they've taken to issue SNAP benefits and threatened to impose financial penalties on states that do not “comply” quickly.
Schumer outlines Democrat offer to reopen government and extend ACA subsidies
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the Senate floor to outline Democrats' new proposal to end the shutdown.
"I've spoken with my caucus, and Democrats are offering a very simple compromise," Schumer said. "Democrats are ready to clear the way to quickly pass a government funding bill that includes health care affordability. Leader Thune just needs to add a clean, one-year extension of the ACA tax credits to the CR so that we can immediately address rising health care costs."
"Now, the ball is in the Republicans' court. We need Republicans to just say yes," he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks on the floor of the Senate in Washington, Nov. 7, 2025.
Senate TV
Nov 07, 2025, 2:02 PM EST
Trump again calls for elimination of filibuster: 'We would be back to work in 10 minutes'
President Donald Trump on Friday again called for the elimination of the filibuster in the Senate as a way to end the ongoing government shutdown -- despite Senate Majority Leader John Thune's comments against it.
Asked about his talks with Senate Republicans on ending the Senate's rule requiring 60 votes to pass most legislative matters, Trump again pushed for its elimination.
"The way to do it for the Republicans is to terminate the filibuster. They call it the nuclear option," Trump said, adding that Democrats would go this route.
"The Democrats will do this. So if the Democrats are going to do it, I'm saying Republicans should do it before they get a chance. It's very simple," the president said.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Cabinet Room of the White House, Nov. 7, 2025, in Washington.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Trump said if the Senate approved ending the filibuster, "we would be back to work within 10 minutes after that vote took place and lots of other good things would happen."
"It doesn't make any sense that a Republican would not want to do that," Trump said.
Thune has repeatedly rejected Trump's calls for ending the filibuster. Thune has said there are not the necessary votes among Senate Republicans to change the Senate rules.
-ABC News' Sarah Beth Hensley
Nov 07, 2025, 1:15 PM EST
Senate votes on government funding in limbo as Thune says he's looking to Democrats to 'reengage' in debate
The Senate is in session Friday, but Majority Leader John Thune has given no clear indication of what direction they'll take on votes, leading to a number of questions about the Senate's schedule on Friday and this weekend as the shutdown ticks on.
A vote on the short-term government funding bill that the Senate was expected to take Friday has still not yet been scheduled. And while Thune suggested Friday afternoon that he may consider calling up votes on other bills adjacent to government funding, such as GOP Sen. Ron Johnson's bill that would pay federal workers who are currently reporting to work, votes on those haven't been scheduled either.
"Well right now, we've got to get the Democrats kind of back engaged, and so, I can't say what's in and what's out. I think that's going to depend on whether or not Democrats want to get to yes," Thune said. "I thought we were on a track, we had given them everything they wanted or had asked for, and at some point, I was going to say they have to take yes for an answer. They were trending in that direction, and then yesterday, everything, kind of the wheels came off."
Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks to reporters on day 37 of the government shutdown, at the US Capitol in Washington, November 6, 2025.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
While the timing of votes and specifics of what bills may be brought to the floor are at this time entirely unclear, Thune said today that he would expect the Senate to be here this weekend. Thune said another vote to reopen the government would come either Friday or Saturday, but only when Democrats signal willingness to support a package of bills that Thune said he's been negotiating with Democrats on.
"Our members are going to be advised to be available if, in fact, there is a need to vote, and we will see what happens and whether or not, over the course of the next couple of days, the Democrats find a way to reengage again," Thune said.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Nov 07, 2025, 10:35 AM EST
Thune says Democrats 'have to take yes for an answer'
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, in an interview on Fox News, said he's providing Democrats another chance later Friday to vote on moving forward to reopen the government.
"The Democrats just have to take yes for an answer. We have given them everything, essentially that they were asking for," Thune said.
Thune said Republicans have offered Democrats a proposal to re-open the government – which includes holding a vote on the Affordable Care Act as well as moving on a package of appropriations bills. Though he reiterated that President Donald Trump won't directly negotiate with Democrats until the government is reopened.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaks to reporters on day 37 of the government shutdown, at the US Capitol in Washington, November 6, 2025.
