John Thune

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is urging Republicans to back the Democratic bill that extends the current subsidies for three years.

The Senate will vote on both bills on Thursday, but neither plan is expected to get the 60 votes needed to advance.

If Congress fails to act, millions of Americans will see health care costs go up in January.

Deirdre Walsh, NPR News, the Capitol.

It delivers the benefit directly to the patient.

not to the insurance company, and it does it in a way that actually saves money.

I am optimistic.

that after almost six weeks of this shutdown, we'll finally be able to end it.

I will call up that bill in a matter of minutes, and I look forward to passing the clean continuing resolution and appropriations bill package in the very near future.

I'm hopeful that we can finally bring the shutdown to an end.

I don't need to go over all the reasons why it's imperative that we get the government open as soon as possible.

From the truly precarious situation we are in with regard to air travel to the fact that our staffs have been working without pay for a full 40 days now, all of us, Republicans and Democrats,

who support this bill know that the time to act is now.

All of us, Republicans and Democrats, who support this bill know that the time to act is now.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the chamber plans to vote on a bill Sunday that could eventually reopen the government.

The legislative package includes the House passed continuing resolution, but this version would last until the end of January.

The CR would also serve as a vehicle for a partial full-year funding legislation known as a minibus.

But it remains unclear whether Democrats will sign on.

Oklahoma Senator Markway Mullen, a GOP negotiator, wasn't too hopeful.

Democrats have pushed for an extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies before they would agree to fund the government.