Senate Majority Leader John Thune shot back at Democratic efforts to open bipartisan negotiations on government funding, highlighting the tension-filled political maneuvers as the deadline to avoid a shutdown draws near. "Chuck Schumer knows where my office is," Thune remarked to journalists, expressing his bafflement over repeated questions about his willingness to meet. "Why do you guys keep asking me this? He knows my number. I haven’t heard from him," he added during a Senate speech.

This interaction underscores the deepening divide as the September 30 funding deadline approaches. Despite Minority Leader Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ attempts to initiate talks by sending letters to Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, their requests have seemingly gone unanswered. Nonetheless, Thune expressed his readiness to meet, although he questioned the necessity, citing the GOP's plan to advance a straightforward short-term stopgap bill to maintain current funding levels into late November without significant policy changes.

Democrats, on the other hand, have cautioned that excluding them from the funding discussions could lead Republicans to shoulder the blame for any potential government shutdown starting October 1. This stance was reinforced by Donald Trump in a recent Fox News interview, where he suggested that Republican strategies might not require Democratic votes, despite needing at least seven Democratic senators to pass the stopgap in the Senate. Schumer responded by accusing Thune and Johnson of aligning with Trump's preferences, which he interpreted as a desire for a shutdown.

In a display of internal GOP solidarity, influential conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio voiced his support for the clean continuing resolution (CR) plan, urging his colleagues to challenge Schumer, who has opposed such measures. Meanwhile, Schumer has not specified which policies Democrats would want included in the stopgap, though he has highlighted the importance of addressing healthcare, particularly the expiring Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies.

Thune reiterated that these subsidies, set to lapse on January 1, would not be part of the stopgap bill. He emphasized the urgency of keeping the government operational to allow time for proper appropriations discussions. "I think the ACA subsidies will be an issue that will be addressed, but right now we've got to keep the government open," Thune stated, suggesting a possible future dialogue on the matter.

Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Thune's sentiment, dismissing the likelihood of conceding to another Democratic demand to reverse the Medicaid cuts included in the GOP's recent major legislative package. As the deadline looms, both parties stand firm, with Republicans pushing for a clean CR and Democrats seeking more comprehensive negotiations, setting the stage for a critical confrontation in the days ahead.