House conservatives back new funding deal to end shutdown, reject 'wasteful' Obamacare subsidies

FIRST ON FOX: Leaders of a 189-member group that acts as the House GOP's de facto conservative think tank are formally endorsing a new short-term federal funding bill.

With just over two weeks until the deadline for Republicans' initial Nov. 21 plan and the threat of more government shutdown chaos, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) Steering Committee is calling for an extension into "at least" January 2026.

"Democrats are responsible for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history - paralyzing our country and deepening the healthcare crisis sparked by Obamacare," reads a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital.

"House conservatives support a return to regular order accomplished only by a continuing resolution that funds the government at least into January 2026."

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A debate is already brewing within the GOP about how long another extension should last, with some conservatives even demanding a bill carrying last year's federal spending levels through at least November 2026.

The House passed a short-term measure called a continuing resolution (CR) on Sept. 19, aimed at extending fiscal year (FY) 2025 funding levels for seven weeks to give lawmakers more time to strike a deal on FY 2026 federal spending.

But progress has been stalled in the Senate for weeks, where Democrats are demanding any spending bill be paired with an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of this year.

Senate Majority Leader Thune, R-S.D., has floated the idea of holding a vote on extending the subsidies if Democrats agree to Republicans' CR, which is currently free of partisan policy riders.

It's not clear if there's an appetite for such a vote in the House, RSC leaders' new statement suggests.

"We are also committed to delivering a healthcare system that is truly accessible, affordable, and spurs innovation. Congress should reject any extension of the wasteful COVID-era subsidies that fuel fraud and drive up costs," they said.

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The latest position by the RSC, led by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, is likely an accurate indication of where most House Republicans' feelings on both the CR and the Obamacare subsidies are.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled support for a January CR on a private call with House GOP lawmakers on Tuesday, Fox News Digital was told earlier this week.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital last month that he and others on his committee could support an extension into January.

But both issues are likely to see debate within the House GOP, not to mention the chamber as a whole.

Just over a dozen Republicans led by Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., are supportive of extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies by a year as a cushion to give the GOP more time to reform the flawed U.S. healthcare system.

Without it, some members of that coalition have argued, millions of Americans could be faced with a fiscal cliff leaving them to pay significantly more per month for their healthcare.

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And on the CR debate, the House Freedom Caucus led by Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., recently released a statement calling for a CR that extends at least into November 2026.

Their reasoning is that such a measure is the most effective way of keeping federal spending low and avoids another messy government funding fight until after the midterm elections.

But appropriators are against such a move, arguing that Congress must follow its constitutional duty in setting a yearly budget rather than relying on spending levels first passed under former President Joe Biden for another year.

It's also not clear that Democrats, at least several of whom are needed to break a filibuster in the Senate, would accept a year-long CR.

Meanwhile, the government shutdown is in its 37th day, already having made history as the longest fiscal standoff in U.S. history.