Shutdown Enters Third Day Over ACA Subsidies

The federal government shutdown has entered its third day amid a partisan standoff over whether to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, with GOP stopgap bills omitting the subsidies and Democrats blocking them — a lapse that could leave millions uninsured and sharply raise premiums. The closure is forcing widespread furloughs and service disruptions, including nearly half of USDA staff being furloughed and roughly 600 civilian employees at Minot Air Force Base off the job, while many base services and federal programs face strain. Active-duty military pay remains on schedule for now but could be delayed if the shutdown continues, and military families and veterans groups warn of acute financial stress while some veteran services and transition programs are suspended. Education leaders say a prolonged lapse could stall new grant-making (Pell, Title I, IDEA) and devastate low-income students, and state leaders from Maryland to Nebraska are pressing for protections or warning of agricultural and market harms if USDA support is curtailed. Bipartisan floor discussions offer a potential path forward: some senators are considering a stopgap with a “sidecar” commitment to restore expiring health-insurance subsidies by Nov. 1 while GOP negotiators press reforms such as income caps on eligibility.