Schumer points to polling backing Democrats' health care stance in spending bill

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday underscored how new national polling indicates wide support for extending the COVID-era Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

Democrats want Congress to extend those subsidies as their main demand over their support to pass a spending bill to end the government shutdown. Centrists from both parties have been quietly talking about how to reach a deal on that — in what appears to be a main avenue for potentially ending the shutdown.

Taking to the Senate floor, Schumer sought to apply some pressure. He noted, "Seventy percent of Americans support extending the ACA premium tax credits, according to a poll released yesterday by The Washington Post. And another poll by [Kaiser Family Foundation] yesterday found nearly 80% support an extension,"

Schumer added, "And guess what? Even a majority of Trump supporters support an extension — nearly 60%."