Just last week, senators sounded optimistic that they were on the brink of a bipartisan deal to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that millions of Americans rely on to lower their insurance premiums. “We’re in the red zone,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio — one of the key negotiators — told reporters at the time. But when this week ended without a deal, the optimism seemed to have departed the Capitol with the senators on Thursday. “We are in a little bit of a pothole,” Moreno said. Play Senate leaves DC as ACA enrollment ends with huge price spikes for millions January 15, 2026 / 06:39 Some negotiators still insist there is hope. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, another one of the key negotiators, told MS NOW that lawmakers are “pretty well there.” “We’re now in the drafting stage,” King said. But a major sticking point throughout the talks — abortion — continues to block a compromise. Republicans are pushing for stricter abortion restrictions in Obamacare coverage, including new limits on abortion coverage in marketplace plans in states that allow or require it. Democrats insist that any additional abortion restrictions would be a “poison pill.” And language that both sides can live with remains elusive. That’s the bad news for lawmakers who are desperate to find a deal, even if it comes after Obamacare marketplaces closed nationwide this week. But the good news is that Republicans and Democrats actually agree on a number of major elements for a deal. The framework goes…
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