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Democrats eye key Obamacare deadline as government shutdown enters 4th week
Sen. Lankford proposes bill to avoid government shutdowns
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., join ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to discuss the failed vote to pay federal workers amid the government shutdown as they enter their first week without pay.
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A looming deadline in the ongoing government shutdown is being eyed by Democrats as an inflection point for millions of Americans, though the fiscal standoff shows no signs of slowing.
Nov. 1 marks the first day of open enrollment for Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Democrats have warned for weeks that healthcare premium prices are expected to skyrocket for Americans who rely on the program if Obamacare subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic, set to expire at the end of 2025, are not extended.
That extension has emerged as the left’s main demand in the shutdown fight, now in its fourth week. Democrats have largely refused to agree to any spending bill that does not extend the subsidies.
‘THE PANDEMIC’S OVER’: GOP, DEM SENATORS SPAR ON CAMERA OVER COSTLY OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speak to reporters after meeting President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, Sept. 29, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
«In just a matter of a week or so, tens of millions of Americans are going to wake up to the reality, because of the open enrollment period beginning on November 1st, that their premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are about to explode,» House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters on Thursday.
«In many cases, everyday Americans having to pay $1,000 or $2,000 more per month in order to access health insurance that’s affordable, and many people are going to have to go without the ability to see a doctor. The Republican health care crisis grows more urgent by the day.»
He denied on Wednesday that Democrats were using healthcare as a «strategy» to win the shutdown, however, telling reporters, «Our position is not about strategy … What we’re focused on as Democrats is making a difference in the lives of the American people.»
But the looming enrollment period does appear to be an inflection point that could potentially turn the tide for Democrats — and both sides are paying attention.
«It looks like, at least right now, what they’re simply doing is trying to keep the government shut down long enough to get past the enrollment deadline so they can have the political issue,» Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital.
«I don’t think they’re interested in the solution. I just think they want to, they want to have the issue. But if they want to argue about the failure of Obamacare, if I’m out there on the campaign trail, bring it on,» he said.
FLASHBACK: TED CRUZ PREDICTS BALLOONING OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES NOW AT CENTER OF SHUTDOWN FIGHT
Then-Vice President Joe Biden whispers, «This is a big f—— deal,» to President Barack Obama after introducing Obama during the healthcare bill ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, March 23, 2010. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
In certain states, like Connecticut, the open enrollment period for Obamacare has already begun.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital that the ticking clock has certainly increased the urgency to reach a deal on the subsidies, but not necessarily to reopen the government.
When asked if he needed a firmer guarantee beyond Thune’s offer for a vote on the premium tax credits after the government reopened, Blumenthal said, «the answer is a resounding yes.»
«Thune is not the final decision maker here. I would trust Thune and his good faith. Possibly, that’s arguable, but I have no trust in [Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., or President Donald Trump],» he said. «That’s why we need an iron-clad, airtight guarantee, not because it’s an ego thing, but people are buying their health.»
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said letting the Obamacare fight slip past Nov. 1 could make it a more difficult issue to navigate.
«There’s no reason that we shouldn’t fix this before Nov 1. But, and it gets harder, but not impossible, to fix after Nov. 1,» Murphy told Fox News Digital.
Another deadline that will complicate the ongoing fight has to do with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps.
The Trump administration has warned states that funding could dry up on Nov. 1 for the 42 million people who rely on SNAP if a federal funding agreement is not reached.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters near his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 18, 2025. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo)
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Republicans are pressing Democrats on the issue, accusing them of putting millions of Americans at risk for an issue unrelated to government funding.
But Democrats have contended that the Trump administration could activate a $5 million emergency contingency fund and reshuffle additional funding to avert that cliff.
«There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of families across the country can put food on their table in November,» Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement with Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn. «Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people.»
congress,health care healthy living,government shutdown
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Crisis energética en Cuba: se quedará sin combustible para aviones esta medianoche y se suma un apagón gigante
El Gobierno de Cuba les confirmó este lunes a las aerolíneas que operan en la isla que se suspenderá el suministro de combustible. Y ya le puso fecha a la sequía de JetFuel: será a partir de esta misma medianoche, en medio de la crisis energética que atraviesan por las presiones políticas y el bloqueo económico impulsados por Estados Unidos.
Además, desde La Habana indicaron que habrá «prolongados apagones» durante toda la jornada, con cortes que llegarán a dejar simultáneamente sin corriente a un 61,5 % de la isla en el momento de mayor demanda energética, según datos de la estatal Unión Eléctrica (UNE).
Cuba atraviesa una profunda crisis energética desde mediados de 2024, pero el asedio petrolero agravado por el Gobierno de Donald Trump está llevando a cifras récord los apagones, paralizando por completo la economía y disparando el malestar social.
«La aviación civil cubana ha notificado a todas las compañías que ya no habría suministro de JetFuel, el combustible de aviación, a partir del martes 10 de febrero a las 00 (hora local)», indicó a la agencia AFP, bajo condición de anonimato, un ejecutivo de una aerolínea europea.
En principio, la medida tiene vigencia por un mes. Obligará a las aerolíneas que operan vuelos de largo recorrido a efectuar una «escala técnica» al regreso para asegurar su abastecimiento de JetFuel, refirió el ejecutivo. Sin embargo, los vuelos regionales deberían poder continuar sus conexiones con normalidad, precisó la fuente.
La compañía Air France, por ejemplo, ya adelantó que mantendrá su ruta, con una escala técnica prevista en otro país del Caribe.
Con este panorama, Rusia acusó este lunes a Estados Unidos de asfixiar a la isla. «La situación en Cuba es realmente crítica», declaró el portavoz del Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, y ya avisó que trabajan en alternativas para evacuar a los turistas rusos que se queden varados por la cancelación de vuelos.
«Las medidas asfixiantes impuestas por Estados Unidos están causando muchas dificultades al país. Estamos estudiando posibles soluciones con nuestros amigos cubanos, al menos para proporcionar la asistencia que podamos», añadió.
En tanto, el canciller cubano, Bruno Rodríguez, denunció una «cruel agresión» que busca «doblegar la voluntad política de los cubanos».
«El escenario es duro y reclamará gran sacrificio. Nuestra disposición al diálogo es clara y conocida. Se ha reiterado directa y públicamente», agregó.
México envió este domingo dos buques cargados con 814 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria a Cuba y la presidenta Claudia Scheinbaum se encuentra negociando una eventual entrega de petróleo a la isla sin ser sancionados por Estados Unidos.
Tras haber cortado los envíos desde Venezuela, el presidente Donald Trump firmó la semana pasada un decreto que indica que Estados Unidos podría imponer aranceles a los países que vendan petróleo a La Habana.
El 31 de enero se registró el máximo histórico desde que Cuba empezó en 2022 a difundir regularmente estadísticas energéticas, con un apagón que llegó a dejar sin corriente de forma simultánea a un 63 % del país.
El Gobierno cubano anunció la semana pasada un durísimo paquete de medidas de emergencia para tratar de subsistir sin petróleo del exterior, cuando la isla apenas produce un tercio de sus necesidades energéticas.
En ese sentido, La Habana anunció la semana laboral de cuatro días y teletrabajo en las administraciones y empresas estatales, así como restricciones en la venta de combustible, para hacer frente a la crisis energética.
También habrá una reducción de los servicios de autobuses y trenes entre provincias, así como el cierre de determinados establecimientos turísticos.
Las jornadas de clases serán más cortas y las universidades funcionarán en modalidad semipresencial. Estas medidas deben permitir ahorrar combustible para favorecer «la producción de alimentos y la producción de electricidad» y posibilitar «la salvaguarda de las actividades fundamentales que generan divisas», declaró el vice primer ministro, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, en la televisión estatal.
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Massie, top Oversight Democrat call for Secretary Lutnick to resign for ‘lying’ about alleged Epstein ties
Will Anybody Get Arrested From The Epstein Files?
Rich Zeoli, host of «The Rich Zeoli Podcast,» tells Jimmy he doesn’t think anybody will face any real charges following the release of the Epstein files. But the Clintons testifying could set a trap precedent for President Trump down the road.
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The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee piled onto calls from Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., on Monday for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to step down in light of alleged business ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Files released by the DOJ suggest that Lutnick and Epstein bought stakes together in a technology company called Adfin in 2012.
Lutnick, who is listed among nine other investors, appears as a «signatory» alongside Epstein, who is named as a «preferred holder.»
Notably, the purchase is dated four years after Epstein was convicted in 2008 for sexual abuse involving a 14-year-old girl.
DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are pictured from left to right. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images; Tasha Poullard/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said the documents clearly contradicted previous statements from Lutnick about his relationship with Epstein.
«It’s now clear that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been lying about his relationship with Epstein. He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, and we now know they were in business together,» Garcia said in a post to X.
«Lutnick must resign or be fired. And he must answer our questions,» Garcia added.
Garcia’s calls follow similar comments made by Massie on Sunday. When asked about Lutnick’s appearance in the files on CNN, Massie also said that Lutnick should step down.
MASSIE, KHANNA TO VISIT DOJ TO REVIEW UNREDACTED EPSTEIN FILES
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., arrives for a House vote on Feb. 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
«He should just resign. Prince [Andrew] lost his title for less than what we’ve seen Howard Lutnick lie about,» Massie said, referring to the member of the royal family who was stripped of his titles last year for his association with Epstein.
«He was in business with Jeffrey Epstein — and this was many years after Epstein was convicted for sexual crimes. So, he’s got a lot to answer for.»
LAWMAKERS ESCALATE EPSTEIN PROBE WITH POSSIBLE BILL GATES SUBPOENA
Other documents in the Epstein files reveal communications between Lutnick and Epstein’s staff that suggest Lutnick may have met with Epstein in the Virgin Islands.
«Jeffrey Epstein understands you will be down in St. Thomas some over the holidays. Jeffrey requested I please pass along some phone numbers to you so the two of you can possibly get together,» an assistant to Epstein wrote in an email dated November 2012.
In response to an inquiry from Fox News Digital on the criticism from Garcia and Massie, a spokesperson for the Department of Commerce framed their demands as a distraction.
Howard Lutnick, Commerce secretary, participates in a roundtable in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«Mr. Lutnick met Jeffrey Epstein in 2005 and had very limited interactions with him over the next 14 years,» the spokesperson said.
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«This is nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments, including securing trillions of dollars in investment, delivering historic trade deals and fighting for the American worker.»
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., did not respond to a request for comment on whether the committee would consider questioning Lutnick as a part of the committee’s ongoing probe of Epstein and his crimes.
congress,politics,jeffrey epstein
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As Epstein-linked appointment sparks backlash, UK PM Starmer faces party revolt amid resignation calls
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing one of the most serious crises of his premiership after a cascade of resignations, renewed scrutiny over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington and mounting unrest inside the ruling Labor Party ahead of a critical meeting of members of Parliament Monday evening.
On Monday, Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar became the most senior party figure to call for Starmer’s resignation, saying «the distraction needs to end and the leadership in Downing Street has to change,» according to the Associated Press. His intervention piles fresh pressure on the prime minister.
At the center of the crisis are newly publicized materials detailing Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, revelations that have reshaped the political stakes and triggered questions about vetting at the highest levels of government. Documents cited by Fox News Digital report Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, and that Epstein transferred about $75,000 in 2003 and 2004 to accounts connected to Mandelson or his husband.
KEIR STARMER’S CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS AFTER RECOMMENDING EPSTEIN-CONNECTED AMBASSADOR
Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff and one of the most influential figures inside Downing Street, stepped down on Sunday after acknowledging his role in recommending Mandelson for the diplomatic post. In a resignation statement obtained by The Guardian, McSweeney said the decision was «wrong» and he accepted responsibility, calling his departure the «only honorable course.»
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, talks with Britain’s ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, during a welcome reception at the ambassador’s residence in Washington, on Feb. 26, 2025. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)
The pressure intensified hours later when Tim Allan, the prime minister’s director of communications, also resigned, according to GB News. Allan, a veteran New Labor strategist, became the second senior aide to exit as the political fallout deepened.
Dr. John Hemmings, director of the National Security Center at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital the prime minister is now under escalating political pressure and that «it’s unclear as to whether he’ll survive.»
«Prime Minister Starmer is coming under ever-increasing political pressure to resign here in London in the wake of the scandal around Lord Mandelson — his appointed ambassador to the United States — and his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. He has lost two close aides and is under attack for his China foreign policy. The Chagos Deal is under scrutiny and his trip to Beijing was largely viewed as devoid of real results,» Hemmings said.
Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, added: «It is extraordinary to be in a situation where a prime minister who won a landslide general election victory only 20 months ago is now on the verge of being forced to resign. We are here as a result of a series of policy U-turns and bad judgment calls culminating in the Lord Mandelson debacle. His fate is now ultimately in the hands of the Parliamentary Labor Party tonight. If he feels he no longer has their confidence, then there is every chance that this will be the end of Keir Starmer.»
STARMER CALLS ON EX-PRINCE ANDREW TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AFTER LATEST EPSTEIN RELEASE
Peter Mandelson speaks during a welcome reception for British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at the ambassador’s residence on Feb. 26, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Carl Court/Pool via Reuters)
Starmer has sought to contain the damage, saying he regrets the appointment. In remarks reported by GB News on Monday, the prime minister said: «I have been absolutely clear that I regret the decision that I made to appoint Peter Mandelson. And I’ve apologized to the victims, which is the right thing to do.» He added that scandals of this kind risk undermining public faith in politics.
The prime minister now faces a showdown with Labor lawmakers, with backbench MPs expected to challenge his leadership at a party meeting Monday evening U.K. time. A senior Labor MP told GB News the «clock is ticking» and called for decisive action to «cleanse politics.»
Downing Street has insisted Starmer will not resign despite the double departure. A spokesperson told journalists that the prime minister is «getting on with the job in hand and delivering change across the country,» and he remains «upbeat and confident,» and retains Cabinet support.
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Peter Mandelson sits with Jeffrey Epstein as he blows out the candles on a cake, in an undated photograph released by the U.S. Justice Department on Dec. 19, 2025, as part of a trove of documents from its investigations into Epstein. (U.S. Justice Department/Handout via Reuters)
The political damage, however, extends beyond staffing turmoil. Mandelson was withdrawn from the ambassador role after additional details about his relationship with Epstein emerged, and he resigned from the Labor Party earlier this month, leaving Starmer confronting what experts describe as the most acute test of his leadership since taking office.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
united kingdom,politics,uk politics
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