The decision on whether to extend the expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies has increasingly become the defining issue of the shutdown. It is an issue that is fracturing the Republican Party and threatening to derail their midterm election prospects.

The ACA subsidized the purchase of health insurance by some lower-income Americans, based on a sliding scale. The ceiling for the subsidy was originally 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Today, that is about $60,000 for an individual, a little over $80,000 for a couple, and $124,000 for a family of four. Anyone who exceeded that ceiling got no subsidy.

According to CMS Marketplace data, the subsidy typically covered 75 to 85% of the premiums. Before the expansion, nearly 9 million Americans received the subsidy. According to the Cong

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