Senator Schumer sees US shutdown stretching into November

Source: Reuters

October 28, 2025 10:12 PM EDT Updated 9 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday the 28-day U.S. government shutdown could stretch into November, when millions face soaring health insurance costs from expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits — raising pressure on lawmakers to resolve the impasse as enrollment begins.

With hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, others working without pay and federal food assistance due to end in days, neither Schumer nor his Republican counterpart, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, has shown much inclination to end the standoff or mitigate its debilitating effects. The Senate rejected a stopgap funding bill for the 13th time on Tuesday as Democrats insisted Republicans extend expiring tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Without action, premiums will spike for millions enrolling in 2026 coverage when the healthcare marketplace opens on Saturday. "On November 1, people in more than 30 states are going to be aghast - aghast - when they see their bills, and they're going to cry out. And I believe there will be increased pressure on Republicans to negotiate with us," Schumer told reporters when asked about his strategy to end the shutdown.

Democrats want to extend the expiring health insurance tax credits, while Republicans insist that Democrats must first vote to reopen the government. The current partial government shutdown would become the longest in U.S. history next Wednesday, surpassing a 35-day closure that occurred in 2018-2019 during President Donald Trump's first term in office.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senator-schumer-sees-us-shutdown-stretching-into-november-2025-10-28/