Eleven House Republicans signed onto a letter Tuesday calling for Speaker Mike Johnson to make a deal on the subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, saying that their districts will suffer without them.

Reporting on the letter, MSNBC's Kevin Fry explained, "Quite frankly, they seem to see the writing on the wall, which Democrats are really hitting Republicans on for quite some time, that if these premiums start to skyrocket, which is what we're expecting them to do in the next couple of weeks, people get those notices in the mail."

The healthcare marketplace opens Nov. 1, when Americans will begin to see the higher prices for their premiums. Fry warned, "There could be some backlash."

"One of the things that Democrats quietly have said since the beginning of this shutdown fight is that, [at] the very least, changing the national conversation to really hone in on health care could be a winning message for them, because Democrats traditionally poll very well in that arena. Meanwhile, here on Capitol Hill, the push and pull, quite frankly, continues, where both sides are not really talking to each other, they're talking to themselves."

Top Republicans in the Senate, he said, are drawing a line in the sand, saying that the healthcare subsidies won't be dealt with until the government reopens. Democrats have argued that the two could be done at the same time.

Senate Majority Sen. John Thune (R-SD) appeared more open to a meeting if there's a bill, when reporters asked if he would speak with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“They’re going to have to come forward with a proposal or something. We aren't seeing it," said Thune.