House Republicans on Thursday passed a stopgap continuing resolution that keeps federal funding intact only briefly while steering the debate toward divisive policy questions, according to lawmakers and aides. Within hours, Senate Republican leaders were reportedly exploring a "jam" strategy — flooding the Senate schedule with amendments and procedural steps — intended to force Democrats into taking recorded votes on contentious items, including the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act premium subsidies.

Republican strategists said the tactic is designed to turn political pressure on Democrats, who would be forced to either defend the subsidies in the face of conservative amendments or risk appearing to let millions of Americans lose financial help for health insurance. "I think what we're trying to do is avoid things getting worse," a senior House Republican aide said on Thursday, describing party discussions about timing and leverage.

The House measure drew immediate criticism from Democrats, who accused Republicans of playing political games with people's health care and with the functioning of government. "He's despicable. He's anti-American," a senior Senate Democrat said, condemning what they described as a cynical ploy to manufacture crisis for partisan advantage. Democratic leaders warned that a Senate jam could backfire, triggering brinkmanship that ends in a partial shutdown or the erosion of benefits for low- and middle-income families.

Complicating the calculus is an invitation from House Republican leadership to a prominent anti-abortion organization to brief GOP staffers on the impending end of ACA subsidies, a development first reported by POLITICO. That outreach underscored the degree to which social and health policy are now entwined in fiscal maneuvers, and it heightened tensions inside and outside Congress over whether policy riders will be attached to must-pass spending bills.

The practical stakes are immediate. Premium tax credits that lower monthly insurance payments for millions of Americans under the ACA are scheduled to sunset unless Congress acts. If the subsidies lapse, analysts say premiums could spike in many states, enrollment could fall, and federal outlays could shift toward uncompensated care costs. The political stakes are also national: a confrontation over health coverage ahead of midterm and presidential cycles would shape partisan messaging and voter mobilization.

International observers and markets are watching as well. Policy paralysis in Washington has in the past produced short-lived volatility in global markets and prompted allies to raise questions about the reliability of U.S. governance. Diplomatic partners monitor U.S. domestic stability when negotiating trade, security and climate commitments, meaning a drawn-out budget fight can ripple beyond Washington.

Senate leaders have yet to set a firm course; the "jam" is one among several options under consideration, and its implementation would depend on internal GOP unity and the willingness of some Democrats to oppose procedural moves. For now, lawmakers in both parties are bracing for a week of high-stakes maneuvering that could determine whether millions keep health coverage aid in place — or whether Washington's posture toward governance becomes another casualty of partisan brinksmanship.

Nicholas Wu, Jordain Carney and Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.