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US senators are working through the weekend for the initial time since the federal closure began over a month ago, but expectations for a cross-party deal on how to resolve the standoff appeared to diminish as GOP senators proposed a plan toxic to Democrats: scrapping the ACA, called Obamacare.

Growing Consequences of Government Shutdown

The effect on US citizens from the lengthiest closure of the federal government in history worsened on Saturday, as federal workers went without pay, airlines were forced to ground planes and SNAP benefits have been postponed for forty-two million Americans.

President's Proposal from Golf Course

As weekend meeting got started, GOP senators welcomed a suggestion made on online platforms early Saturday by Donald Trump from his resort in West Palm Beach, for government payments to be substituted by HSA-style accounts.

"I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE," Trump posted.

GOP Endorsement

Several Republican senators welcomed the plan, which is similar to a alternative for Obamacare proposed in 2017.

"We will replace this failing program with something that is actually better for the consumer," one senator said.

Another senator commended Trump's proposal on online platforms, and stood next to a giant blow-up of Trump's post as he spoke on the Senate floor.

"I'm writing the bill right now," a third senator wrote in response to Trump's proposal. "We need to stop taxpayer money from going to insurance companies and instead give it directly to Americans in HSA-style accounts and let them buy the medical coverage they want."

Opposition Reaction

Opposition lawmakers shared alarmed responses to Trump's proposal.

"Essentially, Donald Trump's 'concept of a plan' for health care is yet another cynical attempt to eliminate Obamacare," one Democratic senator stated. "This is the same failed Republican plan that's been rejected by the public and Congress."

Another lawmaker reacted to the censure of carriers by posting: "Oh, Trump and the Republicans dislike how the big, bad insurance companies are ripping-off Americans. Seriously? Then I welcome your support for universal healthcare."

Continuing Talks

The Senate went into recess without finding a solution, but Senate Republican leaders have indicated an openness to an developing plan from a handful of centrist lawmakers to end the closure in return for a later vote on the ACA subsidies.

One Democratic senator, who is spearheading the negotiations among centrists, said that Democrats "need another path forward" after Republicans turned down an offer to reopen the government and extend the subsidies for a year.

Another leading Democratic senator continued in maintaining that Republicans should agree to a one-year extension of the subsidies before discussing the long-term of the tax credits.

"Inaction is derelict because citizens will go into debt, people will lose insurance, people will get sicker," the senator said in a Senate address. "That is what will happen if this Congress fails to act."

Partisan Dynamics

Not one of the Republican senators seemed to grapple with the fact that consumers would still need to buy coverage from the same carriers, or that Republican legislators need the backing of eight Democrats to reopen the government, and the concept of repealing and substituting Obamacare with HSAs is improbable to earn a single Democratic vote.

Some observers indicated that the core of such a proposal would eliminate the ACA's requirement that insurance companies cover individuals with existing health issues.

After his golf outing, Trump went back to his private club and reiterated on his insistence that Republicans stop seeking agreement and try instead to repeal and replace Obamacare with a version of the proposal that failed to garner enough backing in 2017.