If not, the White House will look at ’stronger measures’ to bring to the negotiating table.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the U.S. government shutdown, now three weeks old, is “likely to end sometime this week.”
In an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Oct. 20, the top White House economic adviser stated that a chorus of Senate Democrats thought it would be “bad optics” to reopen the government before the “No Kings” rallies.
“Now there’s a shot that this week, things will come together very quickly,” Hassett said. “The moderate Democrats will move forward and get us an open government, at which point we could negotiate whatever policies they want to negotiate with regular order.”
“I think the Schumer shutdown is likely to end sometime this week,” he said, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Thousands of anti-Trump rallies took place across the country over the weekend, with individuals protesting the current administration’s policies.
If the government’s doors are not reopened, the White House will examine “stronger measures” that officials could bring to the table. But while there have been calls for President Donald Trump to directly intervene in negotiations, Hassett says that he “has been very active throughout this process, but it’s also his position that this is a thing that the Senate needs to work out.”
But time is running out before the Nov. 1 deadline—a key date in the ongoing government shutdown because open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans start, and the next round of military and federal law enforcement paychecks are scheduled.
Democratic lawmakers have been pushing to extend premium tax credits in the landmark health care legislation, which were extended under President Joe Biden. They have also been fighting against reforms to Medicaid enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Meanwhile, the president told reporters last week that a “very wealthy” donor offered to pay members of the military during the shutdown.
“I actually have a man who is a very wealthy person. He said, ‘If there is any money necessary, shortfall for the paying of the troops, I will pay it,’ meaning he will pay it,” Trump said during his Oct. 14 bilateral meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House.
The upper chamber has held 10 failed votes to reopen the government. An 11th vote is scheduled on Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m.
By Andrew Moran
