GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

The U.S.

Senate failed to pass two dueling# pieces of health care legi.. leaving Affordable Care Act tax credits all# but certain to expire at the end of the year.

AMNA NAWAZ: As lawmakers prepare for# year-end recess with no agreement in sight,## tens of millions of Americans who rely# on the ACA are being left in limbo.

The## expired subsidies would lead to a sharp rise in# health insurance premiums starting next month.

Congressional correspondent Lisa Desjardins# was at the Capitol today and joins us now.

So, Lisa, walk us through what happened today.

LISA DESJARDINS: What we had today in the# Senate was Republicans and Democrats each## having one shot to put up a bill to deal# with these expiring enhanced tax credits.

Now, these are just -- these are enhanced# credits on top of what was originally in## Obamacare.

So we saw both parties put up# bills, but, frankly, Amna, those bills,## neither one of them seemed likely to pass.

Let# me go through what they proposed, first of all.

Now, the Republican plan is to limit the# enhanced subsidies and essentially move## them into health care savings accounts.# Now, that plan failed.

It got 51 votes,## but that's short of the 60 that was needed.# Democrats, they're planning a little bit## more straightforward, a three-year extension# of the enhanced subsidies as they are now.

That plan also failed, but, interestingly enough,# Amna, 51 votes.

So we had two plans today that## both got a majority vote, but both short of the# bipartisan 60 votes that's needed in the Senate.

And we have learned a couple of things.

The Senate# clearly is not at a point where there are even## having these bipartisan talks that are needed to# come up with a compromise plan.

The other thing we## learned today, as the leaders said on the floor,# that there is both political and policy divide.

SEN.

JOHN THUNE (R-SD): Democrats' so-called# plan is a three-year extension of the status quo,## no reforms, no revisions, no rethinking# of the way that Obamacare works,## just a three-year extension of the status quo.

SEN.

CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Republicans# will have to answer to the American people,## explain to the country why they chose higher# health care costs over real solutions.

They## must -- Republicans must answer for why# people will lose coverage.

Republicans## must answer why families see premiums# double and triple over the next year.

LISA DESJARDINS: Not a great sign# when you get into the finger-pointing,## especially when millions of# Americans waiting for a solution.

I talked to Senator Thune, especially afterward.# He said there are senator-to-senator talks.

He's## not given up on some possible way forward,# but time is running out.

And Senator Schumer## seemed more in the attitude of he thinks this# might be it for the year, but we will see.

AMNA NAWAZ: So it's not clear# if the Senate's going to do## anything more on this.

What about# the House?

What's happening there?

LISA DESJARDINS: OK, the House, very interesting.

House leadership, the Republican# leadership, Speaker Johnson,## they are not putting forward a plan to extend# these health care subsidies right now.

However,## other Republicans are.

There is a group of# bipartisan members together.

There are 35 of them,## one example, last week, who -- there you# see them -- proposed a one-year extension.

There are a couple different versions of# that idea.

These groups are now trying to## do a run-around the leadership with a discharge# petition.

We have talked about this on the show.## That needs 218 signatures.

I just checked# a few minutes ago.

Neither one of these## extensions that these some few Republicans are# proposing is anywhere close to that number yet.

And they also may not have enough time to# get that done by the end of the year.

But## here's the tricky part.

This is very# political.

When I talk to Democrats,## I think there clearly is a majority# in the House for a one-year extension.

But the politics are such that that# may not come to the House for and## it certainly doesn't look like it will# come before next week.

So there's a will,## but not a way potentially in the House right now.

AMNA NAWAZ: So there's a lot of# competing dynamics at play here.

As you speak to your sources, give us your# analysis overall of where things stand right now.

LISA DESJARDINS: Well, let's# break this down simply,## because I know it is confusing.# And even for members in Congress,## they kept pulling me aside to say, help# me understand what's going on here.

So let's look at this in terms of three# major problems that are faced -- that's## facing Congress here.

First of all, Democrats, for# their point, Democrats, on their end, they oppose## the reforms in large form that the Republicans# want.

That's a problem in the Senate especially.

Now, Republicans, they're divided on an# extension.

There are a lot of moderate## Republicans who, frankly, are vulnerable# in the next election who want to extend## this and they want to do it now.# But the Republicans don't agree.

Finally, something that hasn't come up yet,# abortion policy, Amna.

This is a huge issue in## the Senate.

There are Republicans who want to# -- who are very nervous about the way forward## and want to make kind of more conservative# policy on abortion.

Democrats don't like that.

So that's a big hangup as well.

And all of this# leads to this point now.

Others say there's a## problem because none of this changes health care# costs in general.

It just moves money around.

AMNA NAWAZ: And, finally, Lisa, I know# that calendar is always a big issue here,## right?

Walk us through what's ahead.

LISA DESJARDINS: You know I love# doing -- looking at the calendar, Time is tight.

And, in fact, it's actually# even worse than people realize.

So let's## take a look really quickly.

Here we are today,# December 11.

Now, look, at the end of the month,## that's when these enhanced tax credits expire.# OK, so it seems like Congress would have time.

No, those days in that red-orange color, those# are the final days that Congress plans to be here## before leaving for the holiday.

Now, how about# January?

Another problematic deadline coming up,## at the end of January is when government# funding runs out for most government agencies.

So they're up against the clock on a couple# of issues, not ready to deal with either one## of them.

Now, we know from KFF that there# is a real moment here.

And I talked to one## of their experts today, Cynthia Cox,# about where she thinks things stand.

CYNTHIA COX, Program on the ACA Director, KFF: I# think it's looking more and more likely that these## enhanced premium tax credits are going to expire.# Even if there was some sort of last-minute deal.## We're probably looking at people's premium# payments going up significantly in January.

LISA DESJARDINS: A reminder of who that affects.# So that's not most Americans.

It is a smaller## portion of the American health care market, but# it is 24 million Americans who are on Obamacare## right now.

Most of them would see premiums go up,# Cynthia Cox saying double beginning in January.

And we also know from the Congressional Budget# Office that around two million people would just## fall off of insurance altogether.

And, Amna,# that's not just hypothetical.

That's already## happening.

We know in Massachusetts, where# open enrollment closes in just days from now,## that already 10,000 people have not# signed up again, won't have insurance.

And that is going to cause real health# care and financial problems ahead.

AMNA NAWAZ: Lisa Desjardins, thank you, as always.

LISA DESJARDINS: You're welcome.