House GOP eyes health care subsidies plan amid shutdown stalemate

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) signaled Monday that GOP leadership will meet to craft a plan to end the expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) as Democrats mobilize on Day 27 of the government shutdown.

“Republicans have been working on a solution for healthcare, we’ve been doing it for years,” Johnson said at a news conference Monday when asked about the looming “health care cliff.”

The Louisiana Republican said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is working with House committee chairmen to come up with a plan as Democrats demand health care negotiations.

Still, pressure has reached fever pitch across the country as more polls show Americans blame Trump and Republicans for failing to reopen the federal government.

Food stamp financing has also moved to the center of the shutdown fight. More than 40 million low-income food stamp beneficiaries are expected to receive less or no assistance with their grocery bills in November.

The Senate will meet at 3 p.m., but there are no plans to vote on any closure-related measures.

President Trump is traveling across Asia for a series of important meetings, across the Pacific in Japan. He paid a brief visit to the country’s emperor before leaving to spend the night.

While Trump predicted a “successful transaction” in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week on his return from Malaysia, he told reporters that he “very much wants” to remain in office for a third term and is open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

He will meet with the new Japanese prime minister later Monday.

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