Congress has just a few days to agree on a federal funding package or the White House says there could be mass layoffs.

Republicans and Democrats are at an impasse over tax credits that help millions of Americans afford health insurance.

Danette Mullinex is among 225,000 Coloradans whose health care is in the hands of Congress.

"That's a scary thought," she says. "I feel like I'm a prisoner and my hands are tied."

Mullinex and her husband own a small excavation company in Mesa County and get their health insurance on the state exchange. They pay just over $2,000 a month thanks to federal subsidies that cap premiums at 8.5% of a household's income. But those subsidies are set to expire the end of December if Congress doesn't act.

The Colorado Division of Insurance says premiums wil

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