Bipartisan negotiations are the 'obvious way out' of the shutdown, says Sen. Dick Durbin [View all]
Source: NPR
Updated October 9, 2025 5:30 PM ET
As the government shutdown stretches into its ninth day, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is urging House Republicans to return to Washington and negotiate, warning that millions of Americans could soon see their health care premiums double if Congress fails to act.
"There certainly is [a way out], and it's an obvious way out," Durbin told Morning Edition. "Have both sides sit down at the table immediately and find ways to deal with the challenge that faces us. Millions of American families are going to see their health care costs double if Congress doesn't act immediately."
The Senate on Thursday rejected competing bills to fund the government for a seventh time, voting 54-45. At the center of the standoff is a partisan dispute over whether, and how soon, Congress should extend subsidies for Affordable Care Act marketplaces. About 24 million Americans who don't have job-based or public insurance, such as Medicaid, rely on those marketplaces to buy coverage.
Republicans, who control Congress, say Democrats are blocking their funding plan under pressure from their base. They argue that no deal on health care can happen until the government reopens. Democrats acknowledge they have limited leverage but say that if the Affordable Care Act's tax credits are not extended, health care costs will soar. Durbin, who is set to retire in two years, said the impact of inaction will soon be felt in his home state.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/10/09/nx-s1-5566043/dick-durbin-government-shutdown-negotiations
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