Thune affirms Dem proposal is 'non-starter,' says short term funding bill is 'only way out'
In remarks on the Senate floor on Saturday, Majority Leader John Thune called the Democratic proposal presented by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer a "non-starter.”
The plan, which Schumer outlined on the Senate floor on Friday, would have seen Democrats approving a short-term extension of government funding if Republicans agreed to include a one-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
"The Democrat leader's proposal is a non-starter for the Republican majority,” Thune said. “The Democrat leader wants to believe that this is a quote simple proposal. That it is some sort of compromise. But it is not. He is talking about throwing tens of billions more tax payer dollars at a program that even democrats admit has failed to lower health care costs.”
Republicans have consistently said they want to make reforms to Obamacare. They've also said they're unwilling to negotiate on the ACA until the government is reopened.
"Republicans are not about to further burden taxpayers by blindly extending a flawed program,” Thune said. “The Democrat's proposal is just more of the same: Masking rising premiums and padding insurance companies’ profits with more taxpayer dollars.”
However, Thune did say that the proposal presented by Schumer on Friday suggests that Democrats may be ready to engage on reopening the government.
Thune continued to assert that passing the clean short term funding bill remains the "only way out" of the shutdown.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
