WASHINGTON — Congress has less than a month before health insurance premiums are set to spike for millions of Americans . And hopes of a deal to mitigate the pain are fizzling among lawmakers in both parties.

“I’m not hopeful that that’s going to happen,” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said. “We’ll keep trying to work at it, but I’m not feeling good about it right now. ... Things are not coming together like I would’ve hoped that they would.”

Peters was among a group of senators seeking a health care deal when eight Democrats voted with Republicans to reopen the government last month, ending the record-long shutdown that Democrats had forced to try to extend Affordable Care Act money.

The group of eight agreed to end the shutdown after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., promis

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