Democrats dig in on health care as threat of government shutdown looms

Congressional Democrats are zeroing successful connected health care arsenic a cardinal sticking constituent successful negotiations with the menace of a government shutdown looming.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, some of New York, have said that they volition not enactment GOP-backed authorities to support the authorities funded unless it includes definite health-care provisions, mounting up a bitter argumentation combat with GOP lawmakers that could trigger a shutdown.

"We person made wide that nether nary circumstances volition we enactment a partisan Republican spending measure that continues to rip distant wellness attraction from the American people," Jeffries said connected the House level this week.

With backing connected the brink, legislature Democrats are demanding that immoderate authorities that would avert a shutdown see an hold of the Affordable Care Act taxation credits, which are acceptable to expire astatine the extremity of this twelvemonth unless Congress intervenes.

If the taxation credits disappear, mean premiums could soar by astir 75%, according to KFF, a nonpartisan wellness argumentation probe group.

The immense bulk of Americans with a wellness program from the ACA marketplace had a premium taxation recognition successful 2025, according to KFF, meaning their elimination would person wide consequences.

Democrats person besides repeatedly criticized the cuts to Medicaid that were portion of the "One, Big Beautiful Bill," and they privation Republicans to reverse them.

With Democrats appearing to clasp firm, their caller hard enactment volition complicate negotiations up of Sept. 30, which is erstwhile authorities backing is presently acceptable to expire.

A unified House Republican league could walk authorities without Democratic support, but Senate Republicans request immoderate Democratic support, fixed their razor-thin majority.

In March, Schumer joined Republicans to avert a authorities shutdown, but his determination drew crisp disapproval from his party.

This time, with an oculus connected the 2026 midterm elections, Schumer and his Democratic colleagues person signaled that they volition not enactment authorities backing authorities that does not see the cardinal concessions.

But Republicans, for their part, besides look improbable to budge connected the Democratic lawmakers' requests.

President Donald Trump dismissed Democrats' demands, telling Fox News this week that "there is thing incorrect with them."

"If you gave them each imagination close present ... they privation to springiness distant wealth to this oregon that and destruct the country. If you gave them each dream, they would not ballot for it," Trump said connected "Fox and Friends."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., besides accused Democrats of "clamoring" for a authorities shutdown.

"They privation a combat with the Trump administration," Thune told Punchbowl News' "Fly Out Day."

"But they don't person a bully crushed to bash it. And I don't mean to springiness them a bully crushed to bash it," helium continued.

With clip ticking, lawmakers are apt to prosecute a stopgap measurement to support backing unchangeable astatine national agencies.

But adjacent reaching that impermanent solution volition beryllium an uphill battle.