Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) delivered a fiery floor speech Wednesday, chastising his Democratic colleagues for introducing legislation to fund SNAP benefits after consistently voting against a GOP proposal to reopen the government.
In remarks on the Senate floor, the Republican leader blasted the last-ditch effort to cover the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), whose funds are set to dry up this week, accusing Democrats of only now realizing “t...
The Hill
‘Window shopping’ opens for 2026 Affordable Care Act plans
The rates, pricing and other data for 2026 Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance plans were publicly posted on the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace on Wednesday, just three days ahead of the start of open enrollment.
The health research nonprofit KFF said the average increase in premiums for ACA plans will be 26 percent next year, based on data for “benchmark” silver plans, which are the midtier plans in each region that most people purchase and are used to set the subsidy ...
Shutdown will cost up to $14B in economic losses: CBO analysis
The nearly monthlong government shutdown will cost the United States between $7 billion and $14 billion, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Depending on the length of the shutdown, the CBO estimates that the shutdown will reduce real gross domestic product growth between 1 to 2 percentage points. While the shutdown will also delay federal spending, any negative ramifications should reverse once the shutdown is over.
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World braces for Trump-Xi meeting; US sends emergency crews to Caribbean
12:30 Report is The Hill's midday newsletter. Subscribe here.
It’s Wednesday. Well, the kids won. “6-7” has been declared the word of 2025. If you don’t know what this means, neither does anyone who is old enough to vote.
In today's issue:
- World braces for today’s Trump-Xi meeting
- Hurricane Melissa batters Cuba
- US sends emergency crews to Jamaica
- Interest rate cut p...
Cruz says Greene becoming ‘very liberal,’ should be ignored
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called on people Wednesday to stop listening to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and suggested her politics are moving leftward.
Greene's criticism of her fellow Republicans has escalated in recent days amid the government shutdown. Speaking on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Cruz urged people to not "spend much time worrying about what Marjorie is saying."
"What I've found is that whenever an elected official decides that they are going to turn on...
Watch live: Schumer, Senate Democrats speak amid shutdown showdown
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) will speak with reporters Wednesday morning as the government shutdown stretches to nearly a month.
The lapse in funding, the second-longest in history, was extended Tuesday after Democrats blocked the GOP-backed continuing resolution for the 13th time. Democrats have argued that health care subsidies, which expire under the Affordable Care Act at the end of the year, must be included in the stopgap funding bill.
Senat...
Wall Street Journal urges GOP to kill ObamaCare subsidies
The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal is urging Republicans in Congress to end health care subsidies introduced as part of ObamaCare as the party tries to negotiate an end to the government shutdown, which has stretched into its fourth week.
"Despite longtime Democratic political dominance on healthcare, more voters may be noticing for the first time in years that the Affordable Care Act is a debacle that has made care worse and more expensive," the Journal wrote a...
Trump pitches working with Democrats on ObamaCare alternative
President Trump floated working with Democrats on an alternative to ObamaCare on Wednesday, saying the two parties could come up with a “much better” option.
“We have to fix health care because ObamaCare is a disaster,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to South Korea.
“When you see the increases in ObamaCare, it never worked. It never will work, and we can do something with the Democrats much better than ObamaCare,” he continued. “Less mo...
Watch live: Johnson gives remarks on Day 29 of shutdown as pressure mounts
House Speaker Mike Johnson will hold his daily press conference Wednesday morning as pressure mounts on both sides of the aisle to reopen the government after funding lapsed nearly a month ago.
Johnson teased earlier this week that Republicans are working to develop a GOP replacement for the Affordable Care Act and the expiring tax credits that have been at the center of Democrats' demands. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Tuesday aired frustration over the lack of tr...
GOP senator scolds Greene: ‘Present an option’ and ‘don’t just criticize what other people are doing’
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) on Tuesday urged Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to stop sharing criticism about GOP lawmakers' approach to solving the lapse in Affordable Care Act subsidies and present her own plan.
“If this is something she‘s passionate about, put pen to paper, write a bill, present an option,” Moreno said during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source.”
“Don‘t just criticize what other people are doing,” he added.
Moreno ...