With the clock ticking toward the deadline, Dec. 8 marks the start of a pivotal week for lawmakers as they consider the future of Affordable Care Act subsidies .

Senate Democrats have put forward a plan. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Shumer, D-New York, unveiled his caucus' proposal last week, centered around a three-year extension of tax credits set to expire at the end of the year. While a vote on it is required under terms of the deal that reopened the government, its odds appear bleak — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, told Fox News the plan is "obviously designed to fail."

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