How an enduring debate over healthcare sparked a now record-long shutdown

"The ongoing 36-day closure has sparked disputes over a range of topics from the separation of powers and the federal workforce, to food assistance and air traffic control. But at the heart of the impasse is a debate about health care, specifically expiring subsidies for health insurance premiums purchased on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Democrats have gone all-in on their fight to preserve the subsidies,"

"withholding votes 14 times for a Republican-backed short-term spending measure even as shutdown pain ratchets up with flight cancellations, delayed SNAP benefits and missed paychecks for federal workers. Though Republicans have insisted they will not negotiate on the subsidies until the government reopens, some members are calling for them to be preserved. The stalemate has underscored the Affordable Care Act debate's lasting imprint on Washington, more than 15 years after it was signed into law."

The 36-day shutdown is the longest in U.S. history and has disrupted flights, SNAP benefits, and federal pay. The closure has produced disputes over separation of powers, the federal workforce, food assistance, and air traffic control. The core conflict centers on expiring subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplace premiums that expire at the end of the year. Democrats have withheld votes 14 times on a Republican short-term funding measure to force an agreement to extend the subsidies. Republicans broadly oppose the law and will not negotiate until the government reopens, though some GOP members now seek to preserve the subsidies. The impasse highlights the Affordable Care Act’s enduring role in U.S. politics ahead of the 2026 midterms.

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