Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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With the federal shutdown now becoming the second longest in U.S. history, science today, it could become the longest one ever, with both parties still far apart and far away from a deal. But there are lawmakers who are reaching across the aisle. Among them, Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto.
We spoke with Senator Cortez Masto earlier today, and we asked her about the yay vote and where the shutdown goes from here. Here's that conversation.
Well, I can tell you just in general, there's a group of us Democrats and Republicans trying to come together and help get through this impasse. There's an impasse right now. We need to open up the government and we need to extend the health care subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. I think there's the ability to do both.
And that's those are the conversations that are taking place with some of us right now, both R's and D's.
Well, depending on who you talk to right now, Senator, and I'm sure you know this all too well, you are either a profile in courage or you're a problem for your party. And I'm wondering what the conversations are like in the cloakroom. Are you trying to get other Democrats to join you? And are you surprised that hasn't happened yet? I think it's 12 rounds today, right?
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Chapter 2: What is the current state of the federal shutdown negotiations?
I don't care with your blue state, red state, purple state. It's about Americans and supporting them and helping them lower their health care costs. This is one way we can do it. And that's why both Democrats and there are some Republicans who want to extend this health care subsidy. And they should. Because if we don't, there's probably about 22 million Americans across the country that are
not only going to see their health care costs go up, some of them are going to lose access to health care because they can't afford it.
Senator, you said that you believe that you can reopen the government and extend the subsidies. I'm curious, in your conversations with the other senators, do you have some guarantees from Republicans that they will vote in favor of it?
Chapter 3: How is Senator Cortez Masto involved in bipartisan efforts?
Well, those are the conversations and negotiations now because clearly we have to do both. And I will tell you a key part of this conversation is going to be the man in the White House, Donald Trump, because the leadership of Republicans in the Republican Party in Congress, they're only going to do what he says.
So they have to be a part of this conversation, and Donald Trump has to be a part of this conversation. He can't be flying around everywhere. He needs to be here in Washington, bringing the parties together, being a constructive part of addressing the healthcare costs that we have in this country. If he were to engage, that would help us move through this impasse of opening up the government
and addressing the Affordable Care Act subsidies so that we do not see health care insurance premiums increase for families. I can't stress this enough, and it's just not unique to Nevada. I know my family's in Nevada, a family of four. If you're making $56,000 a year, you're going to see your health care premium go up by at least $200. That's crazy.
There's going to be a double-digit increase for premiums for people, and they are not going to be able to afford it. That means we're going to lose people on health care. And the only time now we will see them, if they have an acute crisis and they're going to show up in emergency rooms, it's going to have a ripple effect for everybody's health care coverage in this country.
And it's going to have an impact on all of our hospitals and our clinics, including in our urban and rural areas. So we really need to come together to address this issue in this conversation. And that requires all of us talking and get beyond this impasse and start addressing and solving the problems of the American public. This is what they want us to do.
The continuing resolution that you've been voting for, Senator, only runs through the 21st of November. So there's been a question about whether that date needs to change. There's also a question about whether this could be extended by a much greater length of time. John Thune suggested just 24 hours ago that a full-year CR might be the only way out of this.
The White House has suggested it, and we spoke earlier today with the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Jason Smith told us he would support such a move.
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Chapter 4: What challenges are faced in extending health care subsidies?
So you're not facing potential shutdowns every couple of months here. How about you? Through December 2026, would you vote for that?
Well, let me just say this. This is part of the problem. Instead of coming to talk, leadership talking amongst each other, Democrats and Republicans, and all of us working together like we normally should, we're hearing conversations from the press and offers coming from the press.
No offense to both of you, but this is where this should happen, right here in Washington, and us coming to the table, having these conversations. That's part of the impasse, and this is my frustration, and some of my colleagues, and we see the same frustration Republican leadership, Democratic leadership, the White House, we need to all be in the same room.
We need to be working like the American public expects us to do in Congress and do our jobs.
Senator, though, you are not all in the same room. So what do you believe could be the turning point here?
I think it starts with the conversations around things that you've just said. We all obviously need to open up the government. We have to address and appropriations bills and still pass those. We're going to need time to get those done. And we have to fix the Affordable Care Act. All of those things are on the table. It's not going to change.
And that's why we have to come together and start talking about those and how we vote on those and what our agreements are around those very areas and how we start moving those forward.
Each state is feeling this a little bit differently by way of furloughed federal workers. Senator, in your case in Nevada, among the many furloughed are nuclear staffers, inspectors who are watching the nuclear stockpile in your state. They have in many cases been furloughed as well by way of the energy secretary.
I'm curious your reaction to sending those workers home and if this is a national security problem.
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