Fifteen years after the Affordable Care Act was enacted, the Republican Party remains united in criticizing the law but divided on how to move forward. That tension has come into sharp focus during the ongoing government shutdown, as Democrats seize on rising premiums to pressure Republicans into extending expiring subsidies for the law, often referred to as Obamacare.
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THE HEADLINES
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a news conference on day 23 of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Republicans grapple with voter frustration over rising health care premiums
At the center of the shutdown — now in its fourth week with no end in sight — is a Democratic demand that Affordable Care Act subsidies passed in 2021 be extended. President Donald Trump and GOP leaders say they’ll consider extending the enhanced tax credits that otherwise expire at year’s end — but only after Democrats vote to reopen the government.
In the meantime, people enrolled in the plans are already being notified of hefty premium increases for 2026. And as town halls fill with frustrated voters and no clear Republican plan emerges, the issue appears to be gaining political strength heading into next year’s midterm elections.
Some Republicans dismiss projections that ACA premiums will more than double without the subsidies, calling them exaggerated and arguing the law has fueled fraud and abuse that must be curbed. Many Democrats credited their ability to flip the House in 2018 during Trump’s first term to the GOP’s attempt at repealing Obamacare, and they’re forecasting a similar outcome this time.
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they trust the Democrats to do a better job handling health care, compared with about one-quarter who trust the Republicans more, a recent AP-NORC poll showed. About one-quarter trust neither party, and about 1 in 10 trust both equally, according to the poll. Read more.
Of note:
Trump has promised an alternative, but nearly 10 months into his presidency, that’s yet to emerge. Republicans say they want a broader overhaul of the health care system, though such a plan would be difficult to advance before next year.
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US and China say a trade deal is drawing closer
A trade deal between the United States and China is drawing closer, officials from the world’s two largest economies said Sunday, as they reached an initial consensus for Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to aim to finalize during their high-stakes meeting.
Any agreement would be a relief to international markets even if it does not address underlying issues involving manufacturing imbalances and access to state-of-the-art computer chips. Beijing recently limited exports of rare earth elements that are needed for advanced technologies, and Trump responded by threatening additional tariffs on Chinese products – with the prospect of a widening conflict risking weakening economic growth worldwide.
Trump also reiterated that he plans to visit China in the future and suggested that Xi could come to Washington or Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s private club in Florida. Read more.
Of note:
The progress toward a potential agreement came during the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in Kuala Lumpur, with Trump seeking to burnish his reputation as an international dealmaker. Yet Trump’s way of pursuing deals has meant serious disruptions at home and abroad, with import taxes scrambling relationships with trading partners, and a U.S. government shutdown causing feuds with Democrats.
Related reads ➤
Newsom says he’ll consider presidential run after 2026 midterms
California Gov. Newsom, among Trump’s leading Democratic critics, says he will consider running for the White House in 2028 after next year’s midterm elections.
Asked in an interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” whether it would be fair to say he would give a campaign serious thought after the November 2026 vote, the term-limited governor said, “I’d be lying otherwise.”
Newsom has been trying to raise his national profile, adopting a combative style that parodies Trump’s social media strategy with similar all-caps posts, memes and merchandise. The jabs have included deployment of the California National Guard following immigration protests and Trump’s redistricting moves in Texas. Read more.
Of note:
The feud between Trump and Newsom doesn’t seem like it’s going away anytime soon. On Thursday, Trump acknowledged he had agreed to halt a planned show of federal force planned for San Francisco – of which Newsom was mayor between 2004 and 2011 – after appeals from tech executives and the mayor.
Related reads ➤
President Donald Trump poses for a family photo with, from left, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, East Timor’s Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Laos’ Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
ON THE CALENDAR
Trump is in Asia this week, meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Monday and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday, when he also gives a speech aboard the U.S.S. George Washington aircraft carrier. Trump plans to leave for South Korea on Wednesday.
2025 COUNTDOWN
OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON
Author: Health Watch Minute
Health Watch Minute Provides the latest health information, from around the globe.
