Democrats embrace votes to make government shutdown hurt less

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has seized on the plan that Republicans floated – and then discarded – to soften the government shutdown's sting for some federal workers and aid beneficiaries.Why it matters: Schumer's (D-N.Y.) strategy had been to withhold votes across the board while Democrats fought for Affordable Care Act subsidies. Now he's pushing a partial reopening of government, without those ACA subsidies as part of the equation.It's an attempt to make Republicans own more of the acute and escalating pain of the government shutdown."Democrats will introduce a clean, standalone bill today to ... keep SNAP benefits flowing," Schumer said on the Senate floor.Zoom in: Schumer and top Democrats see Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-S.D.) decision not to pursue a "rifle shot" strategy as an opportunity to apply pressure on Republicans.After Thune's first three plans to open up all – or part – of the government failed, he suggested last week that he was open to "rifle shots" to fund parts of the government.But Republicans realized such bills would reduce their overall leverage, Axios reported on Monday.On Tuesday, pursuing that plan was called off in a closed-door luncheon, with Vice President Vance voicing his firm opposition.Look for Senate Democrats to add to Tuesday's push to release SNAP funds, with more à la carte funding bills in the coming days."We can't let politics starve children. This bill is simple, targeted, and necessary," said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)."I'm a yes on the SNAP bill. The money exists. The need is urgent. There's no excuse," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).The bottom line: Last week, Schumer called a GOP bill to pay the military and some federal workers a "ruse." "We will not give Donald Trump a license to play politics with people's livelihoods," he said in a speech from the Senate floor.

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