Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has said he would not call for a vote to extend healthcare subsidies used by many low-income Americans that are set to expire at the end of the year.
The decision means it is almost certain healthcare insurance premiums will increase for millions of Americans.
Republicans have said the subsidies were never meant to be a permanent but a temporary solution to alleviate Covid-era stressors, while Democrats have said the move will leave everyday Americans with sizable increases in healthcare costs.
The subsidies were the focal point of the more-than 40-day government shutdown this autumn.
Johnson and moderate House Republicans could not come to an agreement on how best to extend benefits projected to cost some $35b (£26b) per year, he told reporters on Tuesday.
