Overview
- On CNN, Republican pollster Frank Luntz said failure to fix expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies would make the 2026 midterms "very painful" for Republicans.
- He warned a renewed government shutdown could follow, with most voters likely to blame President Trump’s party based on surveys he cited.
- Luntz argued voters care most about affordability, saying millions struggle to pay for care and resent partisan finger‑pointing over Obamacare.
- Since the November reopening after the prolonged shutdown, Congress has not reached a health‑care deal and has left town until 2026 with subsidies set to lapse for millions.
- Democrats previously secured only a promise for a vote on the tax credits before the end of 2026, leaving the fate of the subsidies unresolved heading into the new year.