WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation to help people pay for health care through the Affordable Care Act collapsed in the U.S. Senate along party lines Thursday, dimming hopes of a compromise before the end of the year.

Enhanced tax credits under the ACA, the law known as Obamacare, are set to expire Jan. 1. Obamacare enrollees, who number about 47,000 in Wyoming and 24 million nationwide, are facing steep rate hikes.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted on two ACA bills Thursday, including Democrats’ proposed three-year extension of the enhanced credits.

Republicans, who allowed a vote on that bill as part of last month’s deal to end the federal government shutdown, defeated the measure.

“Obamacare has failed so badly that Democrats continue to use taxpayer dollars to try to hide the failu

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