The Senate was in gridlock on Thursday, with two proposals meant to combat rising health care costs were shot down, mainly along party lines.

Democrats championed a plan to extend health care subsidies for three years, even getting four Republican senators to join them. It still wasn’t enough for the required 60 votes and was rejected by Republicans. A competing plan from Republicans called for direct payments of up to $1,500 for people to buy the most basic health coverage options met a similar end at the hands of the Democrats.

The failure to pass a plan effectively leaves the health care subsidies to expire at the end of the year. With only one week left in the current Senate session, senators are loudly criticizing their political counterparts for the impasse.

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