WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats say health care is an issue that resonates with most Americans because they demand extension of subsidies in exchange for their votes to reopen the closed US government. But it is also one of the most intractable issues in Congress and a real compromise among the government. malfunction is unlikely to be easy or quick.
There are some Republicans in Congress who want to extend the higher subsidies that were first introduced in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of people who get insurance through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces must receive notice that their premiums are going up. will increase at the beginning of the year. But many GOP lawmakers are vehemently opposed to any extension and see the debate as a new opportunity to cut the program altogether.
“If Republicans rule by the polls and fail to seize this moment, they will own it,” Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy wrote in a letter published in The Wall Street Journal over the weekend. He urged senators not to be “shaky” on the issue.
“The game is over, the pandemic is over, and my colleagues should not blink in the other direction,” Roy wrote.
Republicans have opposed the Affordable Care Act, former President Barack Obama's signature health care law, since it was enacted 15 years ago. But although they managed to get rid of it, they have couldn't change it significantly How record 24 million people are now signing up for coverage through the ACA, in large part because billions of dollars in subsidies have made these plans more affordable for many people.
Now some are seeing the Democratic fight as a chance to revisit the issue, putting Republican congressional leaders and President Donald Trump in a difficult position as the government shutdown continues into its seventh day and hundreds of thousands of federal workers remain unpaid.
“I'm happy to work with the Democrats on their failed health care policy or whatever, but first they must allow our government to reopen,” Trump wrote on social media Monday night. going back to previous comments stating that negotiations are underway with Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly indicated that Republicans are willing to extend the subsidies along with reforms if Democrats reopen the government. But he refused to negotiate until that happened and suggested Trump would be the key to the final outcome.
Tune told reporters on Monday that “there may be a path forward” on ACA subsidies, but stressed: “I think a lot of it will depend on what issue the White House sticks to.”
Many GOP senators argue that the only way forward is to overhaul the law. “The whole problem with all of this is Obamacare,” said Florida Sen. Rick Scott.
Most House Republicans agree, and the House Speaker Mike Johnson was evasive in discussions.
“Obamacare doesn't work,” Johnson said Sunday on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “We're trying to fix that.”
Democrats believe that public opinion is on their side and argue that Trump and Republicans will have to come to the table as people participating in the program, many of whom live in Republican counties and states, will be notified that their rates will increase.
“All I can tell you is that the American people are very interested in solving this health crisis,” Schumer said after the Senate rejected a House-passed bill to reopen the government for the fifth time Monday night. “Every poll we've seen shows they want us to do it, and they think Republicans are much more responsible for the shutdown than we are.”
With leaders at odds, some rank-and-file senators from both parties are holding private talks to try to find a way out of the shutdown. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota proposed extending the subsidies for a year and then phasing them out. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, has proposed moving forward with a group of bipartisan spending bills that are pending and committing to a debate on health care.
But many Democrats say the commitments are not enough and Republicans say they need deeper reforms, leaving negotiations and the U.S. government at an impasse.
Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, voted with Republicans to keep the government open. But he said Monday he might vote against it if Republicans don't “offer some real compelling evidence that they're going to help us with this crisis” on health care.
But Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma said his party “will not budge.” “First of all, before we can talk about anything, they need to reopen the government.”
Still, some Republicans say they are willing to extend the subsidies – even if they don't like them – as it becomes clear that their constituents will face rising costs.
“I'm willing to look at various reforms, but I think we have to do something,” said Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri. He said Congress should resolve the issue “sooner rather than later” before open enrollment begins Nov. 1.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said she is “not a fan” of Obamacare but indicated she might vote to extend it.
“I'm going to go against everyone on this because when the tax breaks expire this year, my 2026 adult children's health insurance premiums will double, as will all the wonderful families and hardworking people in my community,” she wrote on social media Monday night.
