Congress’s shutdown showdown intensifies ahead of deadline 

Both sides of the aisle are digging in their heels despite dwindling time to strike a deal to avert a government shutdown.

House Republicans are aiming to unveil a mostly “clean,” short-term funding patch to keep the government open come Oct. 1 — but without major concessions on health care that Democrats in both chambers are demanding be part of a stopgap measure.

Pressed on the matter on Monday, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters, “that’s a December pol...

ACA tax credits at center of shutdown fight 

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ObamaCare fight meets shutdown politics: What to know

An ObamaCare deadline has collided with a fight over government funding, as Democrats are signaling they want Republicans to extend the law's expiring premium subsidies before they support any bill to keep the government open.  

Without action, enhanced tax credits passed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people afford coverage will expire at the end of the year. Congress has extended the subsidies twice, but now Republicans control the entire government and ma...

Democrats worry about stumbling into shutdown

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Democrats fear falling into GOP trap on government shutdown

Centrist Democrats fear their party could blunder into a government shutdown this month as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) are taking a hard line on the government funding package that needs to pass by Sept. 30.

Democrats broadly agree the looming expiration of enhanced health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act — combined with deep cuts to Medicaid that Republicans enacted through the One Big Be...

If Trump wants to cut health spending, he’s defunding the wrong agency

The second Trump administration has made it a core mission to cut spending on public health programs. But ironically, one agency in its crosshairs is pivotal to cost-effectiveness research in health care delivery.

The Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research, housed within the Department of Health and Human Services, is aimed at helping health care organizations and providers to deliver safe, high quality and equitable health care. 

Despite this vital mission ...

Schumer, Jeffries demand major health care concessions to keep government funded

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) and other high-ranking Democrats say that any government funding package to keep federal departments operating past Sept. 30 must include major concessions from Republicans to repair what they say is fast becoming a national health care crisis.  

“House and Senate, Hakeem and I are in total agreement, what the Republicans are proposing is not good enough for the American people and...