President Donald Trump on Saturday proposed a compromise to resolve the ongoing U.S. government shutdown by urging Senate Republicans to redirect hundreds of billions of dollars currently allocated to health insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act directly to individuals.
This would allow people to purchase their own healthcare plans and potentially have funds remaining, while effectively terminating Obamacare.
The suggestion came via a post on Truth Social, just hours before the Senate was scheduled to reconvene at noon following the rejection of legislation that would have resumed paychecks for federal workers during the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Lawmakers remain divided on reopening the government.
Democrats insist that any funding bill include extensions for healthcare subsidies set to expire at year's end, affecting 24 million Americans.
Republicans argue for passing a clean funding bill first to reopen the government before addressing other issues.
The Senate has failed 14 times to advance a House-passed continuing resolution due to the 60-vote filibuster requirement.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed a plan on Friday including a one-year extension of enhanced ACA tax credits, a short-term continuing resolution, and a minibus of spending bills.
Republicans rejected the offer, prompting Senate Majority Leader John Thune to keep lawmakers in session over the weekend.
Thune is considering an extended continuing resolution pushing the funding deadline to January.
Open enrollment for ACA plans has begun without the subsidies that previously made insurance more affordable for lower-income families.
Trump's Broader Criticisms and Filibuster Push
Trump described Obamacare as providing the worst healthcare in the world and labeled insurance companies as money-sucking entities.
In separate posts, he urged Republicans to terminate the filibuster rule, blaming it for recent election losses and warning that Democrats would do the same if in power.
He argued that eliminating the filibuster would enable Republicans to pass beneficial legislation and prevent future electoral defeats.
White House representatives did not respond to requests for comment on the proposal.
Representatives for Thune and Schumer also did not immediately comment.