President Trump confronts a GOP rebellion as Affordable Care Act subsidies expire, risking premium spikes for 22 million Americans ahead of midterms
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is confronting an open revolt within his own Republican Party over the imminent expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
The year-end deadline for the aid, which helps families buy health insurance, has exposed a deep rift between Trump’s base and party leaders determined to let the subsidies lapse.
Trump, whose handling of health care polls poorly, offered late Thursday to work with Democrats on a long-term solution.
This overture conflicts with his longstanding opposition to the ACA, also known as Obamacare, and his resistance to extending the subsidies.
Tensions erupted earlier Thursday when four Republican senators crossed party lines to back a Democratic bill to extend the subsidies for three years.
The bill ultimately failed, but Missouri Senator Josh Hawley said the vote sent a message that “We need to do something here.”
If Congress fails to act, insurance costs are expected to spike for roughly 22 million Americans receiving enhanced ACA tax credits.
The health policy group KFF projects their monthly payments could more than double, with overall marketplace premiums rising by an average of 26%.
Anxiety is spilling into the House of Representatives, where up to two dozen swing-district Republicans are defying Speaker Mike Johnson.
They are joining Democrats on petitions to force votes on reviving the government aid, fearing premium spikes could cost them their seats in the 2026 midterms.
Republican leaders released their own health care funding proposals on Friday, excluding language to extend the Obamacare subsidies.
Lawmakers will be allowed a vote on an amendment to keep the aid, but party leaders expect it to fail.
Democrats say they are open to talks but skeptical of Republican resolve to make health care more affordable.
Polls show health care is Trump’s weakest issue, with his approval lagging even among Republicans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats remain ready to enact a bipartisan agreement.
He accused Republicans of pursuing a “my-way-or-the-highway approach” that has gotten them nowhere. – AFP
