A key Senate Democratic negotiator indicated on Thursday that he doesn't expect a deal to end the government shutdown any time soon. “No, I don’t think so,” Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), a prominent figure in the shutdown talks, told reporters when asked if lawmakers are close to ending the shutdown. “We have to make sure we have a deal that we can get broad support for.” The Michigan Democrat also said Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) refusal to guarantee a vote to extend Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies “a significant problem.”

Asked at a press conference Thursday morning if he could assure Democrats in the House that they would get a vote on extending the subsidies, Johnson said, “No, because we did our job, and I’m not part of the negotiation.”

Democrats have demanded an extension

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