Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, are refusing to vote for any stopgap funding bill unless it includes a commitment to extend the expiring Obamacare premium tax credits.
The healthcare subsidies, which many Americans rely on to keep insurance affordable, are set to lapse at year’s end. Democrats argue that without action now, millions could see drastic cost increases. Republicans counter that reopening the government must come first—and that negotiations on subsidies should follow.
As the shutdown drags on, the standoff over these credits has become the central fault line between the parties.