Washington (BN24) – President Donald Trump said he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats demanding an extension of health care subsidies, signaling that he has no intention of negotiating as the partial U.S. government shutdown nears its sixth week. In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump accused Democrats of losing their way and insisted that the deadlock is their responsibility.
“I think they have to [vote],” Trump said. “And if they don’t, it’s their problem.”
The standoff has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay and raised uncertainty for millions of Americans reliant on federal aid programs such as SNAP. With Senate Democrats blocking repeated GOP efforts to reopen the government, both sides remain far apart on how to resolve the crisis, which has already become one of the longest shutdowns in U.S. history.
Democrats insist that the government must remain closed until Republicans agree to negotiate an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, which are set to expire at year’s end. Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times against measures to reopen the government, arguing that without a commitment to protect health care coverage, any deal is incomplete.
Trump, meanwhile, has doubled down on his call to scrap the Senate filibuster—a procedural rule requiring 60 votes to pass major legislation—arguing that it prevents Republicans from advancing their agenda. “Republicans have to get tougher,” Trump said. “If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want.”
Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, have rejected Trump’s proposal, calling the rule essential to the Senate’s institutional balance. “We need five [Democrats] with a backbone to say we care more about the lives of the American people than about gaining some political leverage,” Thune said as the Senate adjourned for the weekend.
The shutdown’s effects are rippling nationwide. Air traffic controllers and other essential workers have missed multiple paychecks, leading to staffing shortages and flight delays. On Sunday, New York City’s emergency management department reported significant delays at Newark Airport due to “staffing shortages in the control tower,” warning of possible ground stops if conditions worsen.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the situation could deteriorate further. “Many workers are confronted with a decision: do I put food on my kids’ table, do I pay my rent, or do I go to work and not get paid?” he said on ABC’s This Week.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has faced scrutiny after planning to withhold $8 billion in SNAP food assistance until two federal judges ordered the administration to release the funds. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of attempting to “weaponize hunger,” arguing that the administration has prioritized political leverage over public welfare.
At the center of the shutdown is a disagreement over health care subsidies tied to the Affordable Care Act. Trump criticized the law as “terrible,” telling CBS that Democrats should first vote to reopen the government before any reforms can be negotiated.
Democrats, however, maintain that extending the subsidies—originally expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic—is essential to prevent premium hikes for millions of Americans. “We want to sit down with [Senate Majority Leader John] Thune, [House Speaker Mike] Johnson, and Trump to negotiate a way to address this horrible health care crisis,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said.
The standoff echoes the 35-day shutdown in 2018–2019, which ended only after Trump backed down from his demand for border wall funding amid mounting public pressure and airport chaos.
With both sides entrenched, the political and economic costs continue to rise. Trump’s allies argue that Democrats are holding Americans “hostage” over a partisan issue, while Democrats say Trump’s refusal to compromise is causing real harm to millions.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner expressed cautious optimism that the shutdown could end soon, noting Trump’s return to Washington. “Republicans can’t move on anything without a Trump sign-off,” Warner said on CBS’s Face the Nation.
But for now, there is no clear path forward — and each day of the shutdown deepens the toll on workers, families, and the country’s fragile political balance.
