Thune signals progress with moderates on shutdown but Democrats remain tight-lipped on talks

CNN

By Ted Barrett, Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — A group of rank-and-file senators increasingly frustrated by the weeks-long stalemate on Capitol Hill believe they have found a possible path to end the government shutdown. And they could soon get a major boost in their efforts: an audience with Senate Majority John Thune.

“I think that will happen pretty soon,” Thune told CNN when asked wether he would personally engage with centrist Democrats involved in the talks.

Thune confirmed to reporters that Democrats are seeking more details about how to resolve the fight at the center of the shutdown over expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies. While Thune stressed he could not guarantee any resolution to Democrats, he suggested he would have a conversation with those involved.

“Democrats are interested in the substance on that. I’ve offered up a process. I can’t guarantee an outcome or result,” he said.

Lawmakers have faced increased pressure to reopen the government this week with crucial safety net programs – including federal food assistance for more than 40 million people – at risk of shuttering in the coming days. Thune’s remarks come hours after he and numerous other senators voiced a rare sense of optimism that there could be a way out of the 29-day shutdown. Still, neither side has made any commitments publicly.

“It’s ticked up significantly and hopefully that’ll be a precursor of things to come,” Thune told reporters earlier in the day when asked about the status of talks with rank-and-file Democrats. “But yeah, there’s a lot of higher level of conversation.”

Democratic leaders, Thune said, are not involved in the negotiating. Asked whether he thought there would be enough moderate Democrats in the mix to reach a deal that would reopen the government, he expressed optimism.

“I think there’s a possibility that could happen. So, let’s just hope that the conversations continue,” he said, noting he’s “being kept briefed and read-into most of those conversations. I’m hoping something here very soon will be fruitful.”

While the Republican leader expressed rare optimism for a potential off-ramp from the stalemate that’s now in its fifth week, it remains to be seen whether there will be any meaningful step toward a funding solution in coming days. Neither side has made any commitments publicly. Lawmakers have faced increased pressure to reopen the government this week with crucial safety net programs – including federal food assistance for more than 40 million people – at risk of shuttering this weekend.

One Democrat involved in the talks, who requested anonymity to speak on the discussions, told CNN the conversations Thune cited are real. The Democrat would not elaborate on whether they were focused solely on resolving the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies or if other matters – such as the White House’s recent moves to flout Congress’ spending power through “rescissions” – were also involved.

Asked whether the talks could offer a way out of the shutdown, the Democrat would only say: “Maybe.”

One component of the ongoing talks – how to win support in the Senate for full-year appropriations bills that would prevent another shutdown cliff in the coming weeks. Two other Democrats involved in the discussions suggested to CNN that they are interested in those long-term bills as part of an off-ramp.

Asked about whether emerging talks involved full year spending bills, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters said he didn’t “want to get into specifics but clearly that would be nice.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, told CNN that “it’s accurate to say we’re pushing for full-year appropriations bills because that’s what we should be doing,” when asked whether the party was pursuing them as a way out of the shutdown.

Shaheen, who has been involved in the talks, declined to confirm Thune’s assessment that they are making progress, but said, “I think there have been good discussions. That’s all I’m going to tell you about it.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee and has been perhaps the most vocal Republican calling for bipartisan talks, told reporters Wednesday that she was “encouraged” by the direction of talks.

“I think that there are, have been enough of the pieces that have been talked through that if, if somebody can just diagram out how it all comes together and present that — Yes, I do believe it’s possible to kind of come together quickly,” she said.

“There’s no great magic in how we get out of this. It’s the same stuff we’ve been talking about for months,” added Murkowski.

Though Thune said Democratic leaders had not been involved, he noted there were members of the party looking for a solution.

“They just don’t have any room to maneuver but there are a lot of rank-and-file members,” he said, who “want to pursue solutions and to be able to address the issues they care about, including health care.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, however, appeared to dismiss Thune’s comments on Wednesday.

“There have been, there are occasional talks between Democrats and Republicans on this issue, but our Republican colleagues don’t seem to be offering anything different than what their leadership has had so far we hope that will change,” the New York Democrat said.

“We don’t want to pit health care and food. They do, we think you can have both.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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CNN’s Manu Raju and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.