From Fox News: A looming deadline in the ongoing government shutdown is being eyed by Democrats as an inflection point for millions of Americans, though the fiscal standoff shows no signs of slowing.
Nov. 1 marks the first day of open enrollment for Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Democrats have warned for weeks that healthcare premium prices are expected to skyrocket for Americans who rely on the program if Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic, set to expire at the end of 2025, are not extended.
That extension has emerged as the left’s main demand in the shutdown fight, now in its fourth week. Democrats have largely refused to agree to any spending bill that does not extend the subsidies.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) denied Democrats were using their healthcare issue as a “strategy” to win the shutdown fight, and tried to blame it all on Republicans.
“In just a matter of a week or so, tens of millions of Americans are going to wake up to the reality, because of the open enrollment period beginning on November 1st, that their premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are about to explode,” Jeffries claimed.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, “It looks like, at least right now, what they’re simply doing is trying to keep the government shut down long enough to get past the enrollment deadline so they can have the political issue.”
I don’t think they’re interested in the solution. I just think they want to, they want to have the issue. But if they want to argue about the failure of Obamacare, if I’m out there on the campaign trail, bring it on,” Thune continued.
However, Democrat Sen. John Fetterman (PA) called out his own party during a town hall event earlier this this month over the expiring Obamacare subsidies.
“I would love to have a conversation about extending the tax credits for health care. Absolutely. But I would remind everybody, too, this was DESIGNED by the Democratic Party to expire at the end of the year. This is NOT something taken by the Republicans. They were designed to expire,” he explained.
John Fetterman drops a brutal truth bomb on his own party’s excuse for shutting down the government.
“I would love to have a conversation about extending the tax credits for health care. Absolutely. But I would remind everybody, too, this was DESIGNED by the Democratic Party to… pic.twitter.com/acumKhomBC
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) October 16, 2025
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