U.S. senators are continuing to face pressure from their constituents to address rising healthcare costs before millions of Americans could see hefty premium increases to Affordable Care Act subsidies on Jan. 1.

Democrats who agreed earlier this month to reopen the government in exchange for a December health care vote were hoping they could work with Republicans to extend the COVID-era Affordable Care Act tax credits that help many Americans pay for their health coverage. But lawmakers in both parties have spent most of the time since talking amongst themselves instead, while rehashing longstanding partisan arguments over the law in public.

Consumers insured through the law's marketplaces have received notices of hefty premium increases for next year if the subsidies are not extended by Jan. 1 — a reprieve that President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would not support. Unless he changes his mind, that leaves it to Congress to find a solution or let the tax credits expire, raising the rates of 24 million people covered through ACA exchanges.

Republicans in Congress and President Donald Trump are struggling to ease voters' concerns over the high cost of living, combined with a looming deadline to extend expiring subsidies that help people pay for their “Obamacare” premiums.

Those concerns are expected to linger into 2026 when the elections could shift control of Congress.

Some Republican lawmakers are open to extending the subsidies, but Trump said he would only support a plan that sends money to individuals rather than insurance companies, which he complains are “making a fortune.”

"I'm really an all of the above approach kind of guy. At this point, I think we need to do everything we can to bring down the cost of premiums," said Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri.

"People at home are gonna say; 'You are hurting me. You're making my premiums go up. You're not helping me. Why are you doing that to me?' What a great question. They're gonna be right. So I think we better do something," Hawley added.

Republicans have said for years that they want to see the ACA scrapped or overhauled. But there is still little consensus in the GOP about whether to do that or how.

Republican senators have discussed several competing proposals in recent weeks. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Florida Sen. Rick Scott have suggested creating different types of health savings accounts that would change the way people buy insurance — an idea that Trump has endorsed in social media posts without much detail. Other senators have suggested extending the subsidies with new limits on income.

Democrats may have unintentionally put a spotlight on the problems in the law in their shutdown fight by drawing attention to the need for subsidies to make the coverage affordable.

Lawmakers in both parties have said it will be hard to move forward without Trump’s support for a plan. But the president has yet to formally endorse any legislation.