A congressional showdown over whether to continue COVID-era tax breaks that make Affordable Care Act premiums less expensive will determine whether thousands of Long Islanders will soon see their health coverage costs spike.

Many rank-and-file Democrats, who complain party leaders have not more forcibly stood up in some previous fights against Republicans and President Donald Trump, are prepping for battle to renew the subsidies in a funding package to keep government agencies funded past Sept. 30.

But key Republicans and conservatives who control both the House and the Senate insist that the enhanced tax credits must end Dec. 31, as scheduled. They are refusing to go along with any language to extend the breaks in any stopgap or longer-range funding bill to prevent an Oct. 1 shutdown of

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