Overview

• On day 13 of the partial shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson reiterated that an extension of the pandemic‑era ACA subsidies will not be part of a short‑term funding bill and kept the House in recess.
• Senate Republicans remain short of the 60 votes needed to advance the House stopgap after seven failed attempts, with an eighth vote scheduled for Tuesday.
• Democratic leaders say the subsidy extension must be secured now given open enrollment on Nov. 1 and insurers setting future rates, while Sen. Jeanne Shaheen signaled openness to some program tweaks but rejected stricter abortion limits.
• Johnson labeled the subsidies a boondoggle and said any continuation would require reforms Republicans are floating, including income caps, cost‑sharing requirements, and phased phase‑outs.
• President Trump moved to pay active‑duty troops and to keep WIC funded by shifting existing funds, even as many federal workers face missed paychecks and closures such as the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo.