Republicans in Congress have refused to negotiate an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits as part of talks to end the shutdown, arguing there is plenty of time to negotiate over ObamaCare once the government is funded.

“That is an issue for the end of the year. Dec. 31 is when that expires,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a briefing Friday. “So, Congress has three months to negotiate that. Certainly, we could work on it in the month of October to find some consensus to figure that out."

But if Congress doesn’t act on ObamaCare, many Americans will start feeling the pinch within a few weeks.

Premiums are being decided now, and open enrollment for the ACA marketplace is less than a month away in most states, scheduled to begin Nov. 1. Premiums could more than double if insurers believe the tax credits will be allowed to expire.

Data released by the health policy nonprofit KFF on Friday indicated Republicans may risk shooting themselves in the foot if Democratic messaging on this issue sticks.

An analysis by KFF found that most ACA market enrollees, 77 percent, or 18.7 million of the 24.3 million enrollees, live in states won by President Trump in the 2024 election. These states received more premium tax credits and saw more enrollment growth than others.

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