Thune says he offered Dems a vote on Obamacare subsidies to end shutdown

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he offered Democrats an opportunity to address their biggest priority in an effort to end the government shutdown -- but it was not enough to end the stalemate.

Thune, during an interview on MSNBC that aired Thursday morning, said he has offered Democrats a vote on extending the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, but that he couldn't guarantee an outcome. Thune said he won't negotiate on the details of an Obamacare subsidies deal until the government reopens.

"I've told them. I said, and I've said, 'We are willing to have the conversation.' I've said, 'If you need a vote, we can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain.' At some point Democrats have to take yes for an answer," Thune said in the interview, which was taped Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Thursday afternoon that Republicans did not offer any proposal to vote to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, putting congressional leaders at odds as the shutdown continues.

"Look, we're not negotiating in public. Plain and simple," Schumer said when asked if Thune had made the offer. "Leader Thune has not come to me with any proposal at this point."

Senate Democrats have been demanding fixes to health care to avoid a spike in premiums for many low- and middle-income Americans to unlock their support for funding the government. Democrats have been unwavering in their demands as the shutdown drags on into its 16th day.

The Senate on Thursday failed for a 10th time to advance the GOP's government funding bill. The Senate is expected to leave Washington later in the day, all but ensuring the government shutdown will last until at least Monday.

In addition to the vote on the short-term government funding bill, Thune is set to try a new tactic later Thursday, adding a procedural vote on a bill that would fund the Department of Defense for the full calendar year and ensure paychecks for the troops.

Thursday's vote is a different sort of vote than previous ones related to the shutdown. This vote begins debate on one of 12 regular order annual appropriations bills that keep the government running.

Thune has signaled that if the Senate does successfully support this package Thursday, he'll attempt to affix funding bills for additional agencies to it using regular order on the Senate floor.

Reopening the government is a crucial first step to continue discussions about reforms to health care, Thune said on MSNBC. He committed to conversations, but not an outcome.

"There is a path forward, I believe, but it has to include reforms, and can I guarantee an outcome? No. And that's what people want to see -- guarantee us that this is going to pass," Thune said. "I can't guarantee it's going to pass. I can guarantee you that there will be a process and you will get a vote."

Asked about Thune's comments, Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated Thursday morning that no health care outcomes can be guaranteed.

"It's not possible for Leader Thune to guarantee to Chuck Schumer some outcome on that, because we haven't finished those deliberations. I mean, that's just as simple as it is,” Johnson said Thursday morning.

There is bipartisan interest, Thune said, in keeping health care costs down. But changes to the program need to be made, and negotiations on those changes start with opening the government, Thune said.

Republicans have maintained they will not negotiate with Democrats while the government is shut down. But Democrats are not swayed by the promise of negotiations in the future -- pushing for an agreement that addresses health care and also reopens the government.

"The American people are facing one of the most devastating crises they have faced in terms of cost, and we still have not heard crickets of any negotiation with Johnson or with Thune," Schumer said Thursday.

Thune couldn't guarantee the shutdown would end any time soon. When asked by Ali Vitali if he thought it would be over by Thanksgiving, Thune didn't commit.

"I hope it doesn't last through Thanksgiving, because that's going to be a lot of harm to the American people," he said.

ABC News' Lauren Peller contributed to this report.