Wisconsin lawmakers respond to end of government shutdown, healthcare costs remain uncertain

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended Wednesday night, but questions remain about healthcare costs under the Affordable Care Act as lawmakers debate extending tax credits that lower insurance premiums.

The tax credit that reduces health insurance costs for Affordable Care Act recipients was at the root of the shutdown dispute. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin voted against the proposal to end the government shutdown because the spending plan did not include those tax credits.

“We have a broken system that prioritizes profits over patients,” Baldwin said during a visit to Madison on Thursday.

Democrats wanted to extend the credit in the spending bill, but Republicans said that was a separate policy that should be decided at a differen