Overview

• Sen. Lindsey Graham said he would vote to reopen the government but will not consider extending Affordable Care Act subsidies while the shutdown continues.
• Democrats, led by Sen. Mark Kelly on Meet the Press, said they will not back the GOP stopgap without a negotiated fix to prevent subsidy lapses that could raise costs for millions.
• The House-passed funding bill to keep agencies operating through Nov. 21 has repeatedly failed in the Senate because Republicans lack the 60 votes without Democratic support.
• Democrats have floated a shorter stopgap through Oct. 31 that pairs funding with an extension of enhanced ACA subsidies and a reversal of earlier Medicaid cuts.
• The shutdown is in its second week, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed and curtailing key services as the ACA subsidies face a year-end expiration.