Thune: Obamacare subsidy extension requires 60 votes

The ongoing government shutdown, now in its sixth week, has caused divisions within the Democratic Party over whether to push for extending ACA subsidies, with some Democrats advocating for firm resistance and others seeking bipartisan negotiations to reopen agencies and pass funding bills. Senate Republicans are cautious about ending the shutdown without Democratic support, and discussions continue on the timing of funding extensions, while House Republicans consider returning to session if a stopgap measure is passed.