The White House has yet to engage Democrats on ending the government shutdown, despite the potential political ramifications of the closure.

A Democratic bill to fund the U.S. government and end a shutdown was falling short of the votes needed for passage in the Senate on Thursday, as voting continued.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune may have thrown a stick of dynamite in any potential path forward to end the government shutdown when he admitted President Donald Trump wants to overhaul Obamacare.