The Senate voted down competing health care proposals on Thursday, likely guaranteeing that the enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits will expire at the end of the year.

Why it matters: The failed votes on Democratic and Republican plans highlight the deadlock in Congress over how to respond to steep increases in out-of-pocket premium costs for millions of ACA enrollees. • Democrats got the vote on their proposal in exchange for ending this fall's government shutdown. Its defeat assures the issue, and broader concerns about health care affordability, will spill over into midterm elections.

Driving the news: The Senate Democratic proposal, which would have extended the enhanced subsidies for three years, failed 51-48. It needed the support of 13 Republicans to get to the 60 votes for

See Full Page