The Big Story

Democrats worry they could stumble into shutdown

Centrist Democrats fear their party could blunder into a government shutdown this month as leadership takes a hard line on the funding package that needs to pass by Sept. 30.

© Greg Nash

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 Beautiful Bill Act — will hit millions of Americans with higher health care costs.

But they are divided over whether to derail a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government funded in October unless Republicans agree to tens of billions of dollars in additional health care spending.

One Democratic senator who requested anonymity to

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