How an enduring debate over healthcare sparked a now record-long shutdown

From left, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., step away from reporters following a Republican policy lunch at U.S. Capitol on Oct. 15, 2025.

At the heart of the impasse is a debate about expiring subsidies for health insurance. It's the latest chapter in a fight over Obamacare that has dominated Congress since the law was signed in 2010.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)