Republican leaders reject Democratic health care demands for bill to avoid shutdown
September 17, 2025
Republican leaders in the House and Senate are rejecting Democratic demands for health care subsidies in a bill to avoid a government shutdown. Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Democrats “have a choice to make” as the Sept. 30 deadline approaches. Democratic leaders have so far shown no signs of backing off their demands, arguing that it’s Republicans’ responsibility to negotiate. If the government does shut down on Oct. 1, most federal agencies will close and millions of federal employees deemed non-essential, including many in the military, won’t receive paychecks. Republicans are proposing a bill to keep federal agencies funded through Nov. 21.
