GOP rejects Chuck Schumer's offer to end shutdown in exchange for ACA subsidy extension
More than five weeks have passed since Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer helped to orchestrate a shutdown of the federal government.
While Schumer showed signs of caving this past week, Republicans weren't interested in what he had to offer.
Schumer proposes one-year extension of ACA subsidies
According to the New York Post, Schumer made a speech on Friday in which he suggested a "clean, one-year extension" of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies in exchange for passing a continuing resolution.
"After so many [14] failed votes, it’s clear we need to try something different," Schumer said. "What the Senate is doing isn’t working for either party — and isn’t working for the American people."
"Democrats would like to see an end to the shutdown — and we want to respect [Senate Majority] Leader [John] Thune’s desire not to negotiate on ACA until after the government reopens," he asserted.
The senator insisted that his overture did not constitute "a negotiation" but was instead simply "an extension of current law."
What's more, Schumer called for the creation of "a bipartisan committee that will continue negotiations after the government reopens on reforms ahead of next year’s enrollment period, to provide long-term certainty that health care costs will be more affordable."
House Freedom Caucus calls Schumer's offer "absurd"
The Senate minority leader's comments were quickly rebuffed in a social media post put up by the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
🚨 This is an absurd offer from Chuck Schumer.
Senate Democrats are now saying they’ll ONLY agree to reopen the government if we extend the temporary COVID Obamacare subsidies for health insurance companies.
They’re holding the entire country hostage to protect their failing… https://t.co/Ncb6UHficp
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) November 7, 2025
"This is an absurd offer from Chuck Schumer," the group wrote. "Senate Democrats are now saying they’ll ONLY agree to reopen the government if we extend the temporary COVID Obamacare subsidies for health insurance companies."
"They’re holding the entire country hostage to protect their failing health care scheme and enrich insurance companies, while funding abortion, child sex changes, and exacerbating fraud — all while families go without paychecks," the Freedom Caucus insisted.
John Thune: Democrats are "feeling the heat"
The Post pointed out that Schumer's proposal appeared to be a nonstarter with Senate Majority Leader John Thune as well.
"I think it’s an indication that they’re feeling the heat, and they know that their last proposal was unserious and unrealistic," Thune was quoted as telling journalists.
"So I guess you could characterize that as progress, but I just don’t think that it gets anywhere close to what we need to do here," he maintained.
