Overview

• On Day 7 of the shutdown, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called a one-year extension a “non-starter” and a “laughable proposition,” pressing for a permanent fix.
• H.R. 5145, led by Rep. Jen Kiggans with Rep. Tom Suozzi as lead Democratic co-sponsor, would extend the enhanced credits for one year and has 11 other Democrats and 13 Republicans signed on.
• Republican leaders, including Sen. John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, criticized a permanent extension as unrealistic and urged broader talks, with Johnson favoring negotiations after the government reopens.
• The Congressional Budget Office projects roughly 2 million more uninsured next year without the enhanced credits and 3.8 million over a decade, while KFF polling shows broad public support for extending them.
• Timing pressures are mounting as insurers finalize 2026 rates before open enrollment on November 1 and the enhanced credits are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2025.