Democrats met behind closed doors on Capitol Hill for another marathon lunch as the government shutdown continues to drag on. Senators were tight-lipped departing the discussion. It’s still not clear what the path forward is.
A number of Democrats who were present for the lunch described the conversations, which focused on the government shutdown, as “productive.” Several Democrats assured reporters that they were “unified” behind a position on the shutdown.
But asked point blank what it is they were unified over?
“I don’t want to get into that,” Democratic Sen. Gary Peters said. “But it was an encouraging caucus.”
Sen. Gary Peters leaves a Senate Democratic meeting at the U.S. Capitol Building on Oct. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, FILE
Peters wasn’t the only Democrat who dodged questions about what, precisely, Democrats were unified on, so it’s still extremely unclear if Democrats are ready to take an off-ramp toward ending this record-shattering shutdown. So far, only two Democrats and one independent have been consistently voting in favor of a bill that would temporarily reopen the government. That bill has come up for a vote 14 times now.
There’s been a number of conversations between rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans about an addition that could be made to the bill to in some way make it more appetizing for Democrats who have, up until this point, been unwilling to advance the bill without assurances that expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits would be addressed.
Though there have been talks about other elements of the short-term funding bill, Republicans have been clear that they won’t negotiate on health care until the government is reopened. There remains no offer from Republicans to address the health care tax credits, so it’s still entirely unclear if Democrats have been thoroughly enough persuaded by any existing plan for at least the five more members necessary to advance a bill across the floor to vote for it.
-ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Allison Pecorin and John Parkinson
