(WASHINGTON) — 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.

“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.

Senate Democrats have been demanding fixes to health care to avoid a spike in premiums for many low- a

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