The US Senate adjourned on Wednesday without reaching a resolution on how to reopen the government, leaving the shutdown unresolved.
On the first day of the shutdown, blame was placed on both sides of the political aisle. A vote to end the shutdown failed earlier in the day as Senate Democrats stood firm on their demands to secure funding for health care subsidies, which President Donald Trump and Republicans oppose extending.
The central issue revolves around tax credits that have made health insurance more affordable for millions through the Affordable Care Act, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. If Congress does not act to extend these credits, they will expire at the end of the year, causing premiums for subsidized enrollees to more than double, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Senators are scheduled to return on Friday, after a break for the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, to vote again on a Republican-backed measure that would extend federal funding for an additional seven weeks.
