Oct. 15 — when active-duty military members could miss a paycheck — is seen by some lawmakers as the next real deadline for action in the federal government shutdown fight as Democratic and Republican leaders remain at odds over a funding bill, Politico reported Oct. 6.
The debate over the extension of ACA premium tax subsidies remains a key issue in the impasse. Democratic leaders said they will not vote to reopen the government without some sort of agreement to extend the subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025, according to the report.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed urgency on getting an extension on those subsidies now.
“If Republicans continue to refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credit, tens of millions of American taxpayers are going to experience dramatically increased premiums, copays, and deductibles,” he said on Meet the Press Oct. 5. “And that information from their insurance companies is going out right now.”
KFF estimates that premiums for currently subsidized enrollees would more than double if the tax credits expire, according to an analysis published Sept. 30.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said in an interview with MSNBC Oct. 5 that Congress has “effectively three months” to negotiate an extension of the subsidies.
“You know, in the White House and in the halls of Congress, that’s like an eternity, ” he said. “So we need the month of October to figure this out. “There’s a lot of thought that’s gone into that on both sides of the aisle, but we need folks in good faith to come around the table and have that discussion, and we can’t do it when the government is shut down.”
Mr. Johnson canceled the House’s session this week, stating that the Senate must accept the House’s version of the bill, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 5. The House-passed version of the bill would extend several key healthcare programs through Nov. 21, including the Medicare-dependent hospital and low-volume adjustment programs, telehealth and hospital-at-home flexibilities, and the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Congress is “at a stalemate” and urged rank-and-file Democrats to break with their party’s leadership, according to the Journal. Mr. Thune said he plans to bring up the Senate’s version of the bill to vote again Oct. 6. The bill, which has failed multiple times, is expected to once again fail to reach the 60-vote threshold needed for passage.
