Showdown: The healthcare fight giving US a migraine

Republicans say Democrats want to hand out free healthcare to illegal immigrants. Democrats accuse Republicans of trying to blow up Obamacare — again.

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And somewhere in the middle, the US federal government is stuck in shutdown mode, with the finger-pointing in full swing over insurance subsidies that millions of Americans rely on. Here is a look at what’s driving a clash that is proving a bitter pill for Americans to swallow:

Why is Washington shut down?

Congress failed to pass a bill to keep federal departments and agencies funded and functioning past October 1, triggering a shutdown. The sticking point? Healthcare.

Democrats are demanding an extension of subsidies for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans — financial aid that keeps premiums affordable for millions.

Republicans — who run Congress and the White House but need Democratic votes to set budgets -- say that debate should happen later, not as part of a must-pass funding bill. Both sides have repeatedly blocked the other’s reopening proposals in the Senate, meaning federal agencies have been closing and placing some 750,000 nonessential workers on enforced leave, while essential employees have been working without pay.

What are these subsidies about?