Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., speaks to reporters as he arrives for a meeting of the House Republican Caucus at the U.S. Capitol on May 15 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
hide signature
switch signature
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York called Congress' inaction on expiring Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that millions of people rely on “idiotic” and “disgraceful.” More than 20 million people rely on these subsidies.
A voting is scheduled for Wednesday Under Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal, the focus was on cutting health care costs and implementing some of the reforms that Conservatives support. Johnson's plan does not currently extend ACA subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year.
In an interview with Morning EditionLawler said that while the ACA subsidies were intended to be temporary, he thought it was “unacceptable” for Congress to let them expire knowing that health care premiums would skyrocket.
“Speaker Johnson is right that the system is broken, and simply throwing money at insurance companies will not make it more affordable,” Lawler said. “But you have to have a plan. You must have reforms. And I think it’s idiotic to simply stop subsidies without these changes.”
In a conversation with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Lawler discussed efforts by some House Republicans to temporarily extend ACA subsidies and find bipartisan support for the deal.
Listen to the full interview by clicking the blue play button above.
The radio version of this story was produced by Mansi Khurana and Nia Dumas. Web copy was written by Obed Manuel and edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
