Healthcare Subsidies Aren’t In The Deal To Reopen The Government. What Is?

Summary

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The NPR Politics Podcast

Episode: Healthcare Subsidies Aren’t In The Deal To Reopen The Government. What Is?

Date: November 13, 2025
Hosts & Contributors: Sarah McCammon (Politics), Deirdre Walsh (Congress), Domenico Montanaro (Senior Political Editor/Correspondent)

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Episode Overview

This episode unpacks the deal that ended the historic 43-day government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history. NPR’s political team dissects what made it into the funding legislation, what critical items were left out (especially Affordable Care Act healthcare subsidies), and the messy politics that drove the outcome. The hosts also explore what's ahead for health care, the political calculations both parties are making, and why both Congress and the White House remain in gridlock.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What’s In the Deal?

(01:32–04:39)

• Short-term Government Funding:
  • Most agencies funded through January 30th, with some full-year appropriations (e.g., Veterans Administration, SNAP/food assistance programs).
• Reversal of Trump-era Layoffs:
  • The bill includes provisions to reverse layoffs imposed by the Trump administration during the shutdown.
• Controversial Senate Republican Provision:
  • Added late in negotiations: allows Senate Republicans whose phone records were seized during the January 6th investigation to sue the government and receive $500,000 settlements plus legal fees.
    • This sparked bipartisan outrage and confusion, especially among House Republicans who said they weren't consulted.
    • The House plans to vote to repeal it next week, but Senate approval is uncertain.
• Notable Quote:
  • “What happens with these, like, must pass bills is little things get slipped on that could never pass on their own." — Deirdre Walsh (02:51)

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2. Why Are House Republicans Angry?

(04:35–04:52)

• Mainly upset about being sidelined in negotiations and feeling “jammed” by the Senate, not about the overall funding bill itself.
• They wanted to reopen the government but objected to the lack of consultation.

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3. What’s Missing: Healthcare Subsidies

(04:52–09:52, 11:07–13:48)

• Democrats' Loss:
  • The main reason for the shutdown—an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies—was not secured.
  • Most Democrats remain upset and see the deal as a bad outcome. Only a small group of moderate Senate Democrats broke ranks, citing hardship for constituents (loss of SNAP, unpaid federal workers) as the reason to fold.
  • House Democrats overwhelmingly voted “no”; only 7 Democrats and Independent Angus King supported it.
• Empty Promises:
  • As a concession, Democrats secured only a “pledge” from Senate Majority Leader John Thune for a future vote on a healthcare bill by mid-December. No passage is guaranteed.
  • Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH) led Democratic negotiations, arguing that red-state residents also rely on these subsidies and that Trump could be pressured—but there’s no executive agreement.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I think the American people…20 million Americans are going to see their premiums skyrocket. I don't think they like the fact [Democrats compromised].” — Rep. Ro Khanna (05:46)
  • “Democrats were able to raise this issue…they're gonna be able to run on [it] in the 2026 midterm election.” — Domenico Montanaro (09:17)

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4. The Political Calculus

(09:52–11:07)

• Why Compromise Now?
  • Moderates believed the human toll (missed paychecks, lost SNAP benefits, flight delays) outweighed political gains.
  • Tension within the party: Should Democrats make tangible wins for people or press for maximum leverage?
  • Progressives especially angered by the decision, seeing it as another instance where party priorities were abandoned—even after recent electoral wins.
• Notable Quote:
  • “There's a difference, I think, in how people feel about what their role is. Right. Like, is it to make sure that millions of people aren't hurt…Or is it to win on politics? And I think that there's always somewhere in between on that.” — Domenico Montanaro (06:29)

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5. What Happens Next with Healthcare Subsidies?

(11:31–13:48)

• The Situation:
  • ACA subsidies expire at the end of December. Open enrollment is underway, and people are already seeing projected premium increases.
  • Bipartisan negotiations continue (led by Shaheen), but the most likely outcome is a short-term (one-year) extension—with likely GOP demands for new income caps and fraud crackdowns.
  • No House vote is guaranteed; Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to bringing legislation up.
• Trump and the GOP:
  • Trump's past opposition to Obamacare complicates matters, though the popularity of the subsidies means some GOP members (especially from swing districts) want action.
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene notably criticized GOP leadership for a lack of a plan, citing direct impacts on her own family.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I think the problem is they don't really have any proposals of their own. What do they do to show that they're acting on something that their constituents care about?” — Deirdre Walsh (13:27)

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6. The Broken Budget Process and Messy Outlook

(16:26–19:17)

• Shutdown Still Looms:
  • Most funding only lasts until end of January; the threat of another shutdown persists.
  • Hostility and partisanship at an all-time high; the chance of passing full-year budgets is slim.
• Political Messaging Heats Up:
  • Democrats are already framing the fight over ACA subsidies as their signature cause leading into the 2026 midterms.
  • House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been highly vocal about blaming Republicans for the “Republican health care crisis.”
• Democratic Frustration:
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom: “Pathetic. [I’m] wondering what the point of even doing this was if you weren't gonna see it out through the long term.” (18:07)
  • The challenge of being in the minority during the Trump administration, with difficulties mobilizing and extracting real concessions.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Life in the minority for Democrats in the Trump era is really, really difficult.” — Domenico Montanaro (18:58)

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Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Deirdre Walsh:
  “What happens with these must-pass bills is little things get slipped on that could never pass on their own.” (02:51)
• Ro Khanna:
  “20 million Americans are going to see their premiums skyrocket.” (05:46)
• Domenico Montanaro:
  “Democrats were able to raise this issue, raise its importance, and it's something that they're gonna be able to run on in the 2026 midterm election.” (09:17)
• Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Critique:
  “Our leadership has no plan whatsoever to deal with this. My own kids are seeing these major premium increases.” (15:47 paraphrased)
• Gavin Newsom:
  “Pathetic…wondering what the point of even doing this was if you weren't gonna, you know, see it out through the long term.” (18:07)
• Sarah McCammon:
  “Has the can been kicked so many times that it's just dilapidated?” (16:49)

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Timeline of Important Segments

• 01:32–04:39: What’s in the government funding deal / last-minute Republican settlement provision explained
• 04:52–07:45: Democrats’ discontent and reasoning behind their votes
• 07:49–09:17: What Democrats got (or didn’t) and what’s next on ACA subsidies
• 09:52–13:48: Political ramifications and the path (or obstacles) ahead for healthcare legislation
• 15:04–16:26: House GOP’s political dilemma and Marjorie Taylor Greene’s critique
• 16:26–19:17: Prospects for future budget fights, political messaging, midterms, and Democratic strategic questions

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Summary Conclusion

This episode paints a picture of a Congress deeply divided—not only by party but within its own ranks. The funding deal reopened the government but left major Democratic priorities, namely healthcare subsidies, unaddressed. In exchange, Democrats won only a promise of future consideration, setting up yet another high-stakes negotiation in December. With public frustration mounting, political messaging ramping up, and personal impacts already being felt, the stage is set for a contentious few months leading into the 2026 midterms.

The central story: while the shutdown has ended, the fight over health care, government funding, and strategy in a polarized Washington is just getting started.

Transcript

[Sarah McCammon]

On NPR's Wildcard podcast, Padma Lakshmi says she feels better at 55 than 25.

[Deirdre Walsh]

I wouldn't go back to my 20s for all the money in the world. I really wouldn't. I was so hard on myself about every little thing or every, you know, imperfection.

[Sarah McCammon]

Watch or listen to that wildcard conversation on the NPR app or on YouTube @NPRWildcard. Hi, I'm Sarah.

[Deirdre Walsh]

Hi, I'm Jack. Are you my nephew? Yes.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I'm Saul and I'm your great grandfather.

[Deirdre Walsh]

And we're here in Florida to celebrate my grandpa Saul's 104th birthday one weekend after we were in D.C. to celebrate Jack's 4th birthday.

[Sarah McCammon]

This podcast was recorded at no Lie, 1:04pm Eastern Time on Thursday, November 13, 2025.

[Deirdre Walsh]

Things may have changed by the time you hear this, but my grandpa and.

[Sarah McCammon]

My nephew will still be 100 years apart.

[Deirdre Walsh]

Okay, here's the show.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Wow.

[Deirdre Walsh]

Happy birthday. That's amazing.

[Sarah McCammon]

Yeah.

[Deirdre Walsh]

Happy birthday.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I've always said, controversially, that if you could keep my head alive for as long as possible, keep me, keep me going.

[Sarah McCammon]

That sounds like another podcast, Tales from.

[Domenico Montanaro]

The Crypt with Domenico.

[Sarah McCammon]

Hey there. It's the NPR Politics podcast. I'm Sarah McCammon. I cover politics.

[Deirdre Walsh]

I'm Deirdre Walsh. I cover Congress.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Sarah McCammon]

And today on the show, the government shutdown is over. But what does it all mean? What's in that deal that Congress just passed? And what comes next for those health care subsidies that Democrats said they were fighting for? Deirdre, I'm going to start with you. What is in this deal?

[Deirdre Walsh]

So they passed a bill last night that funds most government agencies through January 30th. There were some full year funding bills, three that Congress actually had negotiated over the last few months included as part of this package. That means that the Veterans Administration programs like snap, the food assistance, will have a full fiscal year's worth of funding. It also included a provision to reverse the layoffs that the Trump administration imposed over the course of the shutdown. And then there's this other provision that sort of got slipped in at the last minute by Senate Republicans that caused a little bit of a hiccup in the vote last night, but it ended up passing the House. So this provision was added that would allow Senate Republicans who had their phone records seized without their knowledge during Jack Smith, the special Prosecutor's investigation of January 6th to sue the government and essentially get a $500,000 settlement plus any legal fees.

[Sarah McCammon]

So just to Be clear, did this have anything to do with the larger issues in question?

[Deirdre Walsh]

No. And what happens with these, like, must pass bills is little things get slipped on that could never pass on their own. They there was no way this was going to pass as a standalone bill. This was crafted carefully, and it has a retroactive date in it, which makes it very clear who it's designed to help. And we know that there are about, I think, eight or nine Republican senators whose phone records were obtained during this investigation. Sometimes that happens as part of an investigation, but they now get taxpayer settlements essentially for this. A bunch of House Republicans were like, what is this? The House speaker admitted he didn't even know about it, and now the House is gonna vote next week to repeal it, but I don't know that the Senate will pass it even if the House does. But either way, this is just an example of sometimes these things get slipped into must pass vending bills. And this is something that I think has outraged people in both parties.

[Domenico Montanaro]

So they're actually able to do that now. But it might get repealed next week.

[Deirdre Walsh]

I think there's a good chance the House will pass a bill to repeal it. But since the Senate approved it, I don't know that the Senate will actually pass the bill. And we know already one of these Republican senators, Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, has said he plans to sue, and he doesn't think he should just take a half a million dollar settlement. He wants more than that. But this is a completely different debate than what we've been talking about for 43 days of the government shutdown. And it's just a sign of the dysfunctional Congress. There were two Republicans that voted against the bill last night. One Florida Republican, Greg Stubby, said he voted no because of this prov. He called it self dealing.

[Sarah McCammon]

Are House Republicans upset because they were cut out of this, or are they upset because of some larger political calculation or something else? Why are House Republicans angry?

[Deirdre Walsh]

No, they wanted to pass the bill to fund the government and reopen things. They were angry that they were not consulted. And clearly the Senate was jamming them on this.

[Sarah McCammon]

Okay, so this does reopen the government, but there's a lot that Democrats were trying to achieve through this shutdown, and there's a lot that's still up in the air. How are Democrats feeling about where things have landed?

[Deirdre Walsh]

I would say most Democrats on Capitol Hill are still pretty upset and angry over the deal that was crafted. Remember, this was a small group of moderate Senate Democrats who decided there was too much pain, too many people weren't getting a food assistance. They were worried about things getting worse and they wanted an off ramp. They abandoned the Democrats position of insisting there had to be some action on these expiring health care subsidies and instead settled for a promise of a vote down the line. But I would say most House Democrats and all but six voted no on this, thought this was a bad deal and that the party should have stayed united to fight against the Trump administration. One of them was California Congressman Ro Khanna.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I think the American people got to go ahead. 20 million Americans are going to see their premiums skyrocket. I don't think they like the fact.

[Sarah McCammon]

That we, I mean, domenico enough Democrats did vote, though, to reopen the government. Why did they give in?

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah, a minority, obviously. We saw eight members of the Democratic Caucus, you know, cross over to join Republicans to vote for this. That includes seven Democrats and Angus King, the independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats. Now, I think that's mostly because of this big picture in talking about how much pain can Democrats really feel like American people can absorb and. And can they absorb that? Like, do they feel like people going without SNAP benefits or federal workers not going to work or there being extensive flight delays at airports that that's something that they want to be part of enabling. And I think there were two kinds of conversations going on. One where you have these moderate Democrats saying, this is too much, it's too far. We don't see an end in sight here. And Republicans don't appear any closer to negotiating after the longest government shutdown in history. And then this political calculation that a lot of Democrats were saying that, hey, we were winning on this, why suddenly cave on it? Well, there's a difference, I think, in how people feel about what their role is. Right. Like, is it to make sure that millions of people aren't hurt and be able to get those SNAP benefits and all of the rest that we're talking. Or is it to win on politics? And I think that there's always somewhere in between on that. And it was particularly jarring for progressives. And, you know, frankly, Democrats are people left of center across the political spectrum. A week after winning a very broad electoral win across the country, to see this happen, especially when so many promises have been made to the base over the years and they've just been rolled.

[Sarah McCammon]

It was really a tough spot that Democrats were in. Did they get anything out of this?

[Deirdre Walsh]

Not much. I mean, the group that negotiated this deal in the Senate essentially got a pledge from Senate Majority Leader John Thune to hold a vote by mid December on a health care bill that they will craft. It is not a guarantee that anything will pass. It is not a. We're going to negotiate a solution. There are a group of Senate Republicans who agree that a lot of their constituents are, are going to have steep premium increases in their health care costs if Congress doesn't do anything. Senate Majority Leader Thune has said that whether there's enough to come to the table and broker a deal sort of remains to be seen. I will say talk to Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire. She was sort of the key Democrat who negotiated this deal directly with Thune. I mean, she argued more people in red states rely on these subsidies than more people in blue states and that Trump, the president is going to feel pressured to deal with this. She didn't have a deal with the president. She has a deal with Thune. The White House was involved in these talks, so they knew that this vote is going to happen. And I think to Domenico's point about sort of the political value of this whole standoff, I think there are a lot of Democrats who voted for the deal and against the deal who do think that what was accomplished is that people now understand that Democrats are fighting for these healthcare subsidies, and that's a political win for them.

[Domenico Montanaro]

I have to say, they did come out with, I think, a pretty big political win, which was raising the visibility of the issue of healthcare and healthcare subsidies. It's really not something that people were talking very much about before the shutdown began. You know, it was being talked about in Democratic circles, certainly, but Democrats were able to raise this issue, raise its importance, and it's something that they're gonna be able to run on in the 2026 midterm election, especially if Republicans wind up blocking the extension of subsidies in this promised vote that is supposed to come up next month.

[Sarah McCammon]

All right, we're going to take a quick break. We'll have more in just a moment. I'm Rachel Martin. If you're tired of small talk, check out the Wild Card Podcast. I invite influential thinkers to open up about the big topics we all think about, but rarely talk about. Tune in this fall to hear Mel Robbins, Malala Yousafzai, and Brene Brown talk about everything from grief and God to ambition and forgiveness. Watch or listen on the NPR app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Deirdre Walsh]

Mothers and daughters, Daughters and Mothers. We explore the generational divide on our latest episode of books we've loved about Amy Tan's the Joy Luck Club with the Indicators Waylon Wong, Find books we've loved on NPR's Book of the Day podcast feed on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcast. Keeping up with the news can feel like a 24 hour job. Luckily, it is our job. Every hour on the NPR News now podcast, we take the latest, most important stories happening and we package them into five minute episodes so you can easily squeeze them in between meetings and on your way to that thing. Listen to the NPR News now podcast now.

[Sarah McCammon]

And we're back. We've been talking about the deal that brought the longest government shutdown in U.S. history to an end. One big thing, as we've said, that is not in that deal is a resolution on the Affordable Care act subsidies that Democrats said was the reason for the shutdown in the first place. Deirdre, we were just talking about some of the challenges that come next for Democrats who want to push something like that through. What are you watching?

[Deirdre Walsh]

So those subsidies expire at the end of December. But right now, people across the country are in open enrolled enrollment and shopping for their healthcare plans. So they're already seeing what the premium increases will be when those subsidies go away. So we're starting to see more and more people be aware of this sticker shock. And we have all kinds of figures about how much it's going to go up in various states for individuals, for families. I think what we're looking at is how quickly can there be a potential bipartisan deal to address these. Jeanne Shaheen, the Democrat from New Hampshire who proposed the first bill on this back in, I think 2019, is sort of leading the talks for Democrats. She maintains that there is something that's doable to pass in the Senate. It would probably mean there would be maybe one year of a straight extension for these subsidies, and then Republicans would demand some kind of income caps that would change how many people could get them. There would be some sort of effort to crack down on fraud, which Shaheen said is a legitimate issue that both parties should focus on. The big question is, will there be enough to pass it through the Senate? Can they get 60 votes? And then the other issue is like, that's all the guarantee they got out of this deal. There's no guarantee for a House vote. And the House speaker, Mike Johnson, has not committed to bringing anything up. He's said, we have a bunch of ideas. We'll talk about it. I think the X factor is what does President Trump do? Does he engage at all if he wants his party to pass something to address this issue, which sort of falls into the big sort of affordability debate that was such a big part of the elections we just covered last week. Maybe he gets involved. I think that there's a lot of skepticism about how much he cares about this and how much he'll lean on Republicans in his party to vote for something. It's worth remembering Republicans campaign to repeal Obamacare, including President Trump. Extending these is preserving and expanding a program that they all hated. I think the problem is they don't really have any proposals of their own. What do they do to show that they're acting on something that their constituents care about?

[Domenico Montanaro]

People are seeing really big increases in their premiums as they're trying to buy health care through the either state exchanges or the federal exchanges to buy that private health insurance as part of the Affordable Care Act. And the only thing really Trump has floated at this point is sending people $2,000 checks. That's not really gonna most people in seeing how much their premiums have gone up. So oftentimes you see in politics, there seems to be a kind of band aid approach, when really there needs to be a comprehensive approach to solve a problem that's been intractable for many, many years and became a huge flashpoint during the Obama administration. I think the box that Republicans are in politically now is that the Affordable Care act has gotten much more popular and there are a lot of people who are using these exchanges. You know, compared to a time when if you lost your job, you had a really difficult time buying healthcare, there was very little ability to go and do that. Of course, it was Democrats who sunsetted the subsidies. And that's an argument that Republicans are making about that as well. So, you know, this is a huge problem. It's really difficult to do. Republicans did not wanna negotiate during the shutdown, but now that Democrats have elevated this issue, it does appear to be something that at least moderate Republicans are feeling like they are going to have to negotiate on.

[Sarah McCammon]

It's big dollars, but it's also a large number of. I mean, something like 20 million Americans are affected by this.

[Deirdre Walsh]

Will be affected by this, no doubt. I mean, I think the other big question for House Speaker Mike Johnson is, look, he presides over a razor thin majority. The people who could keep him speaker are just less than two dozen people who represent these swing districts where a lot of people rely on these subsidies. During the shutdown, there was a group of House Republicans that wrote a letter to the speaker and was like, we need to deal with this. And does he focus on something that will help them deliver for their constituents? Or does he listen to the vast majority of his conference, which has been pretty opposed to extending these kinds of subsidies? I do think it's interesting that you had someone like Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene come out and really criticize the speaker when for basically saying our leadership has no plan whatsoever to deal with this. My own kids are seeing these major premium increases. She has adult children that buy healthcare from the exchanges in Georgia. And she was saying, like, look, we need to deal with this. I'm hearing about this from people in my Republican district. That's a political message that I think the speaker is gonna come under increasing pressure to have to respond to.

[Sarah McCammon]

Meanwhile, as we mentioned, most of the government funding only goes through the end of January. So we could be what, Deirdre? Back in the same situation again in a few months. What's gonna happen next?

[Domenico Montanaro]

When's the last time an actual budget was passed? Forget it. Right.

[Deirdre Walsh]

The 90s? I mean. Yeah. I mean, they've just been doing these sort of like full year continuing resolutions, partial year continuing resolutions.

[Sarah McCammon]

Has the can been kicked so many times that it's just dilapidated?

[Deirdre Walsh]

Well, it's also interesting that we're still dealing with Biden level funding bills. With a Congress that's by Republicans of both chambers. I think the bipartisan will to negotiate individual spending bills is a tough prospect given the politics following this 43 day standoff. Things are just really partisan and toxic on the Hill right now. I think we'll see what happens during this debate in December about the healthcare subsidies. What comes out of that? That fight could extend into January. I covered this rally on the east front steps yesterday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stood there and basically it seemed to me like almost a kickoff to the midterm elections. House Democrats will continue the fight to address the Republican health care crisis, and House Democrats will fight to extend the Affordable Care act tax credits. This fight is not over. We're just getting started. You could see the messaging that they're already out there hammering away to blame all of this on Republicans. So regardless of whether or not there's like a solution to this issue, we're gonna hear about it from now until the midterms.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Yeah. And I think it depends on a lot of things here if the government will shut down again. You know, is there an actual vote on these health care subsidies? You know, what lessons did Democrats take out of the shutdown in the first place? Because we've seen people all across the Democratic side wondering what the strategy was here and what the point of all this was, and California Governor Gavin Newsom called it pathetic. He said he was wondering what the point of even doing this was if you weren't gonna, you know, see it out through the long term. So, you know, I think there's a lot of questions here about how Democrats wind up coming together, if they come together. Does the fire within the base subside somehow between now and then or does it continue to rage and what are they asking for in a fight? I think all of this, though, really just is emblematic of the fact that life in the minority for Democrats in the Trump era is really, really difficult. They have a really hard time figuring out how to position themselves to be able to extract anything on their priority list, to be able to make some change and to satisfy the people who they're representing. When they look at polling and see that a majority of people disapprove of the job that the president is doing, it's incredibly frustrating for a lot of Democrats.

[Deirdre Walsh]

All right.

[Sarah McCammon]

We're going to leave it there for today. I'm Sarah McCammon. I cover politics.

[Deirdre Walsh]

I'm Deirdre Walsh. I cover Congress.

[Domenico Montanaro]

And I'm Domenico Montanaro, senior political editor and correspondent.

[Sarah McCammon]

And thank you for listening to the NPR Politics podcast.

[Domenico Montanaro]

Making time for the news is important, but when you need a break, we've got you covered on All Songs Considered, NPR's music podcast. Think of it like a music discovery show, a well deserved escape with friends and, yeah, some serious music insight. I'm gonna keep it real. I have no idea what this story is about. Hear new episodes of All Songs Considered every Tuesday. Wherever you get podcasts, you care about what's happening in the world, stay informed with NPR's State of the World podcast In just a few minutes, we take you to stories around the globe. You might hear the latest developments in world conflicts or about what global events mean. For the price of your coffee, listen to the State of the World podcast from NPR.