Democrats set fight over health care as possible government shutdown looms

(WASHINGTON) — As the deadline to keep the government funded fast approaches at the end of the month, congressional Democrats are vowing a fight over health care, possibly forcing a shutdown unless Republicans agree to restore Medicaid cuts and extend Obamacare subsidies.

Passing a government funding bill to avoid a shutdown would require at least some Democrats to go along. While a Republican majority in the House could pass a measure without Democrats, success in the Senate would be require at least seven Democrats to vote to keep the government open.

As of now, though, negotiations between the Democrats and Republicans are dragging out before the Oct. 1 deadline, as both parties work to firm up their red lines.

A group of senior House and Senate Democrats met Thursday to game out a strategy on government funding — Democrats united in warning that Republicans must compromise on bipartisan legislation that not only protects but also restores health care funding – or Democrats won’t vote to avert a shutdown.

“We will not support a partisan spending agreement that continues to rip away health care from the American people, period, full stop,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday.

“What the Republicans are proposing is not good enough for the American people and not good enough to get our votes,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed. “The Republicans have to come to meet with us in a true bipartisan negotiation to satisfy the American people’s needs on health care. They won’t get our votes, plain and simple.”

A key focus for Democrats is an effort to use this upcoming government funding bill as an opportunity to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire at the end of the year. Those tax credits, which were signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022, expanded eligibility for the ACA and capped premiums.

Democrats also say they want Republicans to reverse course on cuts to Medicaid that came as part of the massive “One Big Beautiful Bill” that Republicans enacted without any Democratic support in June.

Notching any health care related concessions from Republicans could be something of a win for Democrats, who are looking to prove that they’re using this relatively rare moment of leverage to fight for Democratic priorities in a GOP-controlled Washington.

Many are signaling a willingness to dig in during this round of funding negotiations after many, including Schumer, got blowback from the Democratic base for delivering the votes to offset a March shutdown without securing any substantial GOP concessions.

But even though there is some willingness from Republicans to discuss extension of the ACA health credits, Senate Majority Leader John Thune dug in during an interview with Punchbowl News’ “Fly Out Day.”

He said he thinks Democrats “see it as politically advantageous to have a shutdown.”

“I think their base is clamoring for that. They want a fight with the Trump administration. But they don’t have a good reason to do it. And I don’t intend to give them a good reason to do it,” Thune said.

Thune is pushing for Congress to pass a short-term government funding bill with little or nothing attached. This bill, he said, will buy congressional appropriators more time to reach an agreement on full-year funding. But this is a non-starter for Democrats who say health care must be a part of the funding solution.

President Donald Trump on Friday also endorsed a short-term funding solution and suggested it could be accomplished without Democratic support. It’s not politically possible to fund the government without some Democratic buy-in unless Thune makes major changes to Senate rules, something he has vowed in the past not to do.

Trump said Republicans should plow ahead without consulting Democrats.

“We have to get Republican votes. That’s it. If we do, we have the majority,” Trump said.

Democrats, Trump said, wouldn’t vote for a funding bill even if “you gave them every dream.”

“I told them don’t even bother dealing with them, we will get it through because the Republicans are sticking together for the first time in a long time,” Trump said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he does not want the government to shut down — acknowledging it will take Democratic cooperation to avert a shutdown. He has yet to divulge specifics on how Republicans plan to keep the lights on in Washington.

Johnson and Thune have not yet met with Schumer and Jeffries despite calls from the Democratic leader for such a meeting.

GOP Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said that Republican appropriators are aiming to pass a package of three bills alongside a continuing resolution that funds the government through late November.

“We wouldn’t do a CR that both sides didn’t agree to. I mean, we’re not trying to jam the Democrats on the CR. We’re trying to work with them,” Cole said – acknowledging that time is running short as he targets a deal by the end of next week.

There are only seven legislative days before the funding deadline due to the Jewish holidays — which presents a real scheduling challenge for lawmakers. Congress is out of town the entire week third week of this month. Lawmakers aren’t slated to return until Sept. 29, just two days before the shutdown deadline.

Cole hinted that leadership may need to add a few legislative days to the calendar after Rosh Hashana.

As Democrats push to extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, Cole stressed that issue and debate is outside of his committee’s jurisdiction — though Johnson could hypothetically direct him to attach it to the CR.

“I think shutting down the government in a temper tantrum is not going to be helpful to the country,” Cole, R-Okla., said. “I don’t think it’s going to be good for them, either, but that’s up to them. I don’t get to make that call.”

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.