As the next federal-funding deadline approaches, Democrats say restoring billions of dollars in health-insurance subsidies for Americans is the minimum price of their vote to avoid a Republican shutdown. Via the Wall St. Journal:

Democrats are more confident in their negotiating stance compared with March, when a similar attempt to play hardball fizzled. While today’s talks pit them against Republican leaders who want a two-month spending deal with no big additions, they are finding support among rank-and-file GOP lawmakers fearing political backlash if their voters are hit by higher health-insurance bills next year.

“Republicans have to come to meet with us in a true bipartisan negotiation to satisfy the American people’s needs on healthcare, or they won’t get our votes, plain and simp

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