Senate Republicans face states' healthcare concerns in high-stakes shutdown standoff

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

October 13, 2025 6:11 AM EDT Updated 6 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A handful of U.S. Senate Republicans are wrestling with the impending expiration of health insurance subsidies that are the primary sticking point in the government shutdown standoff that entered its 13th day on Monday. The lawmakers have not voted in favor of a proposal put forward by Senate Democrats to extend the subsidies. However, the senators are talking with the White House and Democrats about a possible way to address the surge in health insurance costs.

Some Republicans said failure to resolve the issue could become a liability in the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Small business owners, gig workers and farmers who do not get health insurance through their employers are beginning to receive notices of sharp increases in premiums for policies bought through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Many live in Republican strongholds, and those primarily at risk are middle-class Americans making $60,000 to about $105,000 annually, according to insurance experts, because they most benefited from enhanced subsidies started by Democrats during the COVID pandemic. The enhanced subsidies expire at the end of the year.

"We've got to make sure that premiums don't go sky-high," Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican running for governor of Alabama, told Reuters. Tuberville, along with five other Senate Republicans including Lisa Murkowski, Josh Hawley, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis and Jim Justice, have publicly shared concerns about the impending expiration.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/senate-republicans-face-states-healthcare-concerns-high-stakes-shutdown-standoff-2025-10-13/

[CrispyQ]

1. They weren't concerned when they were voting for the cuts, so how sincere can they be now? -nt

[maxsolomon]

4. they didn't vote FOR cuts to the enhanced subsidies per se.

they voted for a package that allowed them to expire.

[PSPS]

2. Another reason to keep it all shut down until the mid-terms

Anything they agree to can be summarily dismissed because, regardless of what they "promise," trump will illegally "rescind" or "impound."

[maxsolomon]

5. Federal workers cannot be expected to go without pay for a year-plus.

Even if they win an extension of the subsidies here, I don't know that the Dems could stop another Recissions package that just removes them.

[PSPS]

6. A "recission package?"

You should know that trump has already been doing impoundments and recissions (aka "pocket recission" ) by himself all along without any objection in the house because the shadow docketeers said he could (despite them being already ruled illegal.) So, no, democrats can't believe them on this or any other "promise."

It's too bad for the federal workers but they should realize by now that, one way or another, they're going to be fired anyway. The only solution is to shut it all down until we regain control of the government. The vandalism and destruction will just continue otherwise.

[maxsolomon]

7. I do know that MFer is doing that.

But the Congress passed a Recissions Bill and that's what I'm referring to.

[GenThePerservering]

3. Oh...Tubbyville is running for governor

so NOW he's concerned. Whatever.