{"id":27736,"date":"2025-12-23T15:29:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:29:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=27736"},"modified":"2025-12-23T15:29:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T15:29:53","slug":"several-gop-senators-support-democratic-extension-of-obamacare-subsidies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=27736","title":{"rendered":"Several GOP Senators Support Democratic Extension Of ObamaCare Subsidies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Four Republican senators broke ranks by voting in favor of a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act\u2019s (ACA) enhanced health insurance premium subsidies, including two vulnerable incumbents who are up for reelection next year.<\/p>\n

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Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the Democratic proposal, which was supported by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).<\/p>\n

Although the\u00a0measure<\/a>\u00a0did not receive the 60 votes required to proceed, they joined all 47 Democrats in voting to advance it. 51 to 47, the motion to move forward with the measure was rejected. The overwhelming majority of Republican senators opposed the measure.<\/p>\n

In an attempt to regain control of the Senate, Democrats are vying for the seats of Collins and Sullivan, who are up for reelection in 2026.<\/p>\n

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Before the vote, Collins had kept her cards close to the vest, telling reporters that she wanted her staff to carefully review the Democratic proposal before making a decision.<\/p>\n

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Collins and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) introduced a bill Monday that would extend the ACA\u2019s enhanced health insurance premium subsidies for a further two years, but only for households with annual incomes under $200,000.<\/p>\n

Additionally, they suggested mandating that Americans with lower incomes who use the ObamaCare marketplace pay premiums of at least $25 per month.<\/p>\n

Hawley and Murkowski have also advocated for market reforms.<\/p>\n

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Additionally, earlier Thursday, all four Republican senators supported a plan led by Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to shift funds for the enhanced insurance premium subsidies into contributions to health savings accounts to cover the out-of-pocket expenses of those who purchase insurance through the ACA marketplace. And that measure didn\u2019t move forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really an all-of-the-above-approach kind of guy. At this point, I think we need to do everything possible to bring down the cost of premiums,\u201d Hawley told reporters.<\/p>\n

Hawley said he would support multiple plans to address rising health insurance premiums, including proposals that didn\u2019t come to the floor for a vote this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s take some votes and show people that we want to do all that we can,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you talk to people, what they\u2019re going to say is their health care costs are out of control.\u201d<\/p>\n

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries grew visibly upset at a CNBC host last week as she pressed him over extending taxpayer-provided subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as \u201cObamacare,\u201d which was passed without any Republican support during then-President Barack Obama\u2019s first term.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Jeffries got into a heated debate with CNBC host Becky Quick on Friday while discussing the state of the subsidies, which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the GOP majority would begin working on after the recent Democrat-induced government shutdown ended.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLet\u2019s not go back to what\u2019s done in the past, and what\u2019s not been extended. If you want something to get done, you NEED to do something bipartisan,\u201d Quick said to a visibly frustrated Jeffries, who immediately pivoted to blaming Republicans though Democrats, when they controlled Congress under then-President Joe Biden, implemented the provision sunsetting subsidies on December 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you want to get a deal done. I think this is something where you\u2019d like to see the rates go higher and allow Republicans to hang themselves with it,\u201d Quick finally said to Jeffries.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a ridiculous assertion! Shame on you!\u201d Jeffries shot back.<\/p>\n