Shutdown talk heats up as Democrats insist on stopping health care cuts
[September 16, 2025]
By KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO
WASHINGTON (AP) — A deadline looming, Congress charged Monday toward a
federal government shutdown as Republicans brush back Democratic demands
to save health care funding from cutbacks, while Democrats are flexing a
newfound willingness to play hardball, even if it means closing offices
and services.
Republican leaders are ready to call the Democrats’ bluff, possibly as
soon as this week, with a test vote before the end-of-the-month deadline
to keep government running.
GOP leaders said they could tee up a vote on a short-term spending bill
that would keep the federal government fully operational when the new
budget year begins Oct. 1. It would likely be a temporary patch, into
mid-November.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the measure would include funds to boost
security for lawmakers in the wake of the assassination of conservative
activist Charlie Kirk. Additionally, the Trump administration said it’s
asking Congress for $58 million in increased funding for the U.S.
Marshals Service and security for the Supreme Court. And the Senate is
considering its own proposals.
“I want everyone within the sound of my voice to understand: Members of
Congress are safe," Johnson, R-La., said Monday at the Capitol. “They
will be kept safe. They have security measures now at their residence
and personally. We can always enhance and do more and do better.”
In the past budget battles, it has been Republicans who've been willing
to engage in shutdown threats as a way to focus attention on their
priority demands. That was the situation during the nation's longest
shutdown, during the winter of 2018-19, when President Donald Trump was
insisting on federal funds to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
This time, however, Democrats, facing intense pressure from their base
of supporters to stand up to Trump and refuse to fund the
administration's policies, are taking a tougher position — even if it
means halting funds needed to run federal offices.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he and House Democratic
Leader Hakeem Jeffries are united in opposing any legislation that
doesn’t include key health care provisions.
They have particularly focused on the potential for skyrocketing health
care premiums for millions of Americans if Congress fails to extend
enhanced subsidies, which many people use to buy insurance on the
Affordable Care Act exchange. Those subsidies were put in place during
the COVID crisis, but are set to expire.
Schumer contends that Republicans and Trump will be held responsible if
they don’t negotiate a bipartisan deal.
“If one side refuses to negotiate, they are the ones causing the
shutdown,” Schumer said.
Trump, though, called on Republicans to stay united, and sought to pin
the blame for any shutdown on Democrats.
"In times like these, Republicans have to stick TOGETHER to fight back
against the Radical Left Democrat demands, and vote ‘YES!’” Trump wrote
on social media.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that if the House acted, he would
prefer senators also vote this week before they leave town. They are
scheduled to be out of session all next week. The fiscal year draws to a
close Sept. 30, and Congress must act by then to avoid a partial
shutdown.
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks to the chamber to
begin the legislative week, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday,
Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The top Republicans on the Senate and House Appropriations
Committees have been urging that the stopgap spending bill fund the
government through Nov. 20. But congressional leaders said a final
date has not been set.
It's unclear if Democrats would support a temporary funding bill to
avoid a government interruption if talks were underway on the health
care issue.
Jeffries issued a statement in response to Trump’s social media
comments, saying that insurance premiums are skyrocketing and
millions of Americans are losing coverage. He also warned that
hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics are
closing throughout the country.
“House Democrats will not support a partisan Republican spending
bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people.
That’s what this shutdown fight is all about, Mr. President,”
Jeffries said.
There’s support on both sides of the political aisle for extending
tax credits that have made health insurance more affordable for
millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are still
differences over how to do so.
Democrats are threatening to vote to shut down the government at the
end of the month if Republicans don’t extend the subsidies, which
were first put in place in 2021 and extended a year later when they
controlled Congress and the White House. The tax credits go to low-
and middle-income people who purchase health insurance through the
Affordable Care Act.
Without the tax credits, the cost of health coverage next year will
soar for millions. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated
that the number of people without insurance would rise by 2.2
million in 2026, and by 3.7 million the following year, if Congress
failed to act.
While Schumer and Jeffries have threatened a shutdown, other
Democrats say they could support a “clean” bill that would continue
current spending, as long as they had assurances from Republicans on
health care and other Democratic priorities.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said he would vote for a stopgap bill “if
it’s for a limited time to reach the solution.”
Thune indicated that a continuing resolution would likely not
include efforts by some Republicans to include sanctions on
countries that import oil from Russia.
“I hope it’s ripe here soon, but I think one of the things the
president is trying to ensure happens before we do secondary
sanctions is that our European allies join us," Thune said. “It
would minimize the effectiveness of the sanctions unless we have all
of our allies join us.”
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Staff writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
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