As the U.S. government shutdown enters its second day, Democrats are trying to underline that the growing political fight is all about the rising cost of health care.

The New York Times journalists Margot Sanger-Katz and Shane Goldmacher explain why the Democrats are betting on this strategy and who is to blame for the impasse.

Guest:

• Margot Sanger-Katz, a reporter for The New York Times who covers health care policy and government spending.
• Shane Goldmacher, a national political correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading:

• The Trump administration forged ahead with plans to conduct mass layoffs as the fiscal standoff appeared to intensify.
• President Trump has made lowering health care costs a key priority, even as Democrats warn that those costs will skyrocket.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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