CT federal lawmakers push to keep health care a priority

Congress is in a stalemate over federal funding after a series of failed votes on Friday to keep the government open and avoid a shutdown.

But Democrats, including Connecticut’s senators and representatives, aren’t backing off their insistence that any short-term funding bill must address health care priorities such as extending subsidies that would prevent sharp increases in insurance premiums.

The path forward is unclear, and the time crunch makes it more complicated. Congress is out of town all next week, and the House won’t return for votes until after the Sept. 30 deadline. The House originally had votes scheduled two days before the deadline, but GOP leadership cancelled them on Friday.

If neither side budges, that raises the prospect of a shutdown.

Lawmakers in both chambers t