The government shutdown has ended, but the battle for healthcare reform continues. Republicans have promised negotiations with Democrats over extending COVID-era tax credits, which help millions afford healthcare premiums. However, finding bipartisan agreement could be difficult, if not impossible, before the subsidies expire at the end of the year. The shutdown ended this week after a small group of Democrats made a deal with Republicans senators who promised a vote by mid-December on extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies. But there is no guaranteed outcome, and many Republicans have made clear they want the credits to expire. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called the subsidies a “boondoggle” immediately after the House voted Wednesday to end the shutdown, and President Donald Trump said the Obama-era health overhaul was “disaster” as he signed the reopening bill into law. Democrats are wary of Republicans' promises, as they kept the government closed for 43 days, demanding negotiations on an extension before premiums sharply increase. While some Republicans want to extend the subsidies, others want to start a new conversation about overhauling "Obamacare" entirely. Health care has long been one of the most difficult issues on Capitol Hill, marked by deep ideological and political divides. Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said that while Republicans have promised negotiations and a Senate vote, Democrats are wary. If the two sides cannot agree, as many as 24 million people who get their health care from the exchanges created by the law could see their premiums go up Jan. 1. Some moderate Republicans in the House have said they want to work with Democrats to extend the subsidies before the deadline, which is only weeks away. However, it is unclear exactly how that would work, and scrapping the law in its current form would take months, if not years, to negotiate, even if Republicans could find the votes to do it. Some House Democrats have raised the possibility that there could be another shutdown if they are unable to win concessions on health care. The bill signed by Trump will fully fund some parts of the government, but others run out of money again at the end of January if Congress does not act. When it comes to January 30, we'll see what progress has been made.
