President Donald Trump, center, speaks to reporters before signing an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House on Monday in Washington, as Energy Secretary Chris Wright, left, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum listen. Jacquelyn Martin - AP.

By KEVIN FREKING AND SEUNG MIN KIM | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Monday that he'd be open to striking a deal with Democrats on the health care subsidies they've made central to the shutdown fight, cracking the door slightly to negotiations that Republicans have said should only happen after the government reopens.

But Trump also said "billions and billions" are being wasted, nodding to arguments from conservatives who do not want the health subsidies extended to lessen the cost of plans offered under the Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare.

"We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats that could lead to very good things," Trump said. "And I'm talking about good things with regard to health care."

Trump's comments were one of the few hopeful signs Monday as the government shutdown entered its sixth day. Negotiations between the two parties have been virtually non-existent since the start of the shutdown despite the impact on federal services. Democrats have been urging that Trump get involved, with many saying no deal will be possible without the president's approval.

It was unclear if the White House was talking directly to any Democratic senators or if any Trump officials were involved in informal bipartisan talks that have taken place in recent days.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters "there may be a path forward" onACA subsidies, but stressed: "I think a lot of it would come down to where the White House lands on that."

The comments came as the Senate prepared to take another seemingly doomed pair of votes Monday on funding the federal government. Both parties are seeking to ramp up the pressure on the other to end the impasse.

Thune said a critical food aid program for women, infants and children was starting to rule low on funds, blaming Democrats and saying "now it's the American people who are suffering the consequences."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said his side was ready to work with Republicans to "reopen the government and end the health care crisis that faces tens of millions of Americans."

"But it takes two sides to have a negotiation," Schumer said.

Earlier in the day, the two sides dug in. House Speaker Mike Johnson said "there's nothing for us to negotiate" while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries declared the "time is now" to work out a deal on health care.

Johnson, R-La., told reporters that they could stop asking why he wasn't negotiating an end to the impasse and that it was up to a handful of Democrats to "stop the madness" and pass a stopgap spending bill that had earlier passed the House.

"We did the job to keep the government open, and now it's on the Senate Democrats," Johnson said.