Political Stalemate: Who Will Blink First?

The government shutdown is now in its fourth week, and things aren't looking good. Senate Republicans are heading to the White House, not to talk about ending the shutdown, but to show they're on the same page as President Trump. They're not budging on any Democratic demands. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are sticking to their guns. They won't vote for the House-passed bill to reopen the government until Republicans, including Trump, talk to them about extending health care subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. Both sides are dug in, and it's unclear how long this will last. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are about to miss another paycheck, and key federal programs are running out of money. The White House meeting might not lead to a bipartisan resolution, as Republicans are firm, and Trump is backing them up. Senator John Barrasso said the message at lunch will be clear: Republicans are united, and Trump will tell them to stand strong. Senate Republican leader John Thune said Trump is ready to talk about extending the subsidies, but not until Democrats reopen the government. The shutdown is causing real problems. Federal workers are missing paychecks, and important programs like WIC and Head Start are at risk of losing funding. The FAA has reported air traffic controller shortages and flight delays. And as the shutdown drags on, Americans are worried about rising health care costs. Democrats are focused on November deadlines. They want to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies before the enrollment period begins on November 1st. Once sign-ups start, it will be much harder to restore the subsidies, even if a compromise is reached. Republicans, on the other hand, might propose a longer extension of current funding if the shutdown doesn't end soon. But Democrats say Trump needs to be more involved for the government to reopen. They say he needs to get off the sidelines and help his party make a move.