Time is running out for both those facing skyrocketing health care costs and Congressional Republicans to avoid disaster in the midterms. A handful of GOP House Moderates (I use the term loosely) have initiated a revolt against Speaker Johnson by starting a discharge petition to force a vote on a bill that would, among other things extend the ACA/Obamacare subsidies enacted during COVID for another two years.
As you might expect, Johnson is saying no according to CBS News. Let’s unpack what’s going on. First though, always keep in mind the overall context. The GOP has spent this year fighting to end the ACA subsidies. The legislation that authorized them will expire at midnight on the 31st. The GOP has refused to seriously discuss extending them, saying they would come up with their own plan. (Something they’ve been saying since the ACA first passed. We’re still waiting!) Most importantly people are getting a look at how much their insurance premiums will jump after the first of the year. Triple, quadruple or even worse.
What gets overlooked is it won’t just be those who get coverage via the ACA that will see health insurance premiums jump. With ten to twenty million no longer able to afford insurance hospital ERs will be back to the bad old days. Prices will increase and that means purely private insurance premiums will go up too. Not as much as for those on the ACA but more than enough that many would be forced to forgo coverage. And everyone paying for health insurance would take a big financial hit.
Considering all that it’s no wonder many GOPers want an off ramp to this giant wreck they are going to plow in to. Between polling and election losses the House in particular knows how long the odds are of maintaining control. Even the Senate is in play and more so than the GOP wants to admit. After last week’s special election in Tennessee, and yesterday’s election of the first Democratic Mayor of Miami in several decades they know any seat whether in the House or Senate (even in RED states) is vulnerable!
Even before this health care mess the GOP jumped into (scared Trump would have them primaried) a couple dozen ‘moderates’ were worried. They’d talked a good game while running, promising they would break with Trump when they should, but they seldom have done so. Including the vote for his BBB. Now, with even people in MAGA areas angry about the cost of living, and the closing of small-town rural hospitals starting even before the Medicaid cuts of the BBB take effect more than just that couple dozen ‘moderates’ are worried.
That leads us to a Republican. Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania starting that discharge petition to extend the ACA subsidies for two years. Several fellow GOPers have signed on. Forcing a vote is something Johnson wants of course to avoid. He’s got enough stuff he’s trying to dodge to keep Trump happy. But IF Democrats join the effort Johnson will, as was the case with the Epstein files have no choice. What does the bill do?
The underlying proposal, spearheaded by Fitzpatrick, would extend the tax credits through 2027 and impose a cap on income for those who are eligible for the subsidies. The plan would also expand access to health savings accounts, while imposing a small monthly premium on the lowest-income beneficiaries to fight fraudulent enrollments.
For his part Johnson is hoping Democrats will bail him out. He’s saying that even if more of his caucus signs there won’t be enough Republican to overcome the informal but for the GOP ironclad ‘Hastert Rule.’ For those not immersed in the arcane, the Hastert Rule created by former GOP House Speaker Denny Hastert (who turned out to be a child sex predator) was that no bill would be brought to the floor unless a majority of the GOP caucus supported it. Johnson MIGHT be able to discourage more people from signing on, meaning most Democrats would have to do so to get to the magic number of 218.
What Jonson is counting on is Democrats being insistent on a THREE-year extension. It puts Leader Jeffries in a tough spot. It’s a big compromise to be sure. It would also mitigate some of the voter anger out there next year if health care premiums don’t force tens of millions of people to drop their insurance, even though at this point things are far enough along they are going to jump and by more than a little bit. Still, even before this Democrats had a good chance at retaking the House. And losing ten to twenty million American’s health care would effectively do what the GOP has tried for so long (and failed) to do – kill ‘Obamacare.’
That’s what to watch for in the days ahead. Over in the Senate the GOP is playing it’s own games to try and kill the ACA even though some Senators support a three year extension of the subsidies. Thune will never allow THAT to happen. Well, what they are doing in the Senate is a whole different story. I want to focus on the House.
IF Jeffries decides to throw his weight behind Fitzpatrick’s effort and gets most, if not all Democrats to sign the petition (there’s little time left to negotiate on some of the other parts besides the extension) it might box Thune in. As for what Trump would do, unless the GOP revolts like it did with the Epstein files Trump would have little choice but to sign it. If he were to veto it expect a LOT more Republicans deciding it’s time to “pursue other interests” or “spend more time with family.” Including some Senators.
I would write a lot more about this but it’s late. Little time left in this day, and as little time for the GOP to act to either help Americans or to screw them. We should know which way it will go soon.
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you nailed it. republicans, with littlte johnson in the lead, still want tokill obamacare and what theyha e now willdo that and they won’t even have to vote on it. maybe they think tha will save them.
We flipped a seat in Georgia for, I think, the Georgia Senate. it’s a state race but on top of all the surprise Democrat wins it’s another nail in the the Republican coffin.
If I make a donation, would you spend it on a proof reader?
I apologize. Murfster’s eyesight problems have been fairly well known for some years now. He doesn’t post much anymore but sometimes we had to let folks know he’s damn near legally blind.
I fear that while I’m not that bad, my own eyesight has grown pretty bad this fall. I realized a couple of months ago that as happened with my right eye (which also has astigmatism) a few years back has happened with my left eye. A cataract has completely blurred the vision in it. Between that and the astigmatism in my right eye which has to work extra hard even with glasses on my vision is blurry. I often have to make a circle with my thumb and forefinger and hold it close to the screen like a peep sight on a rifle to make out characters on the screen and even that doesn’t always work, especially as the day goes on.
However I’ll be headed out to the VA for cataract surgery on my left eye later this month. It was scheduled for the 22nd but the Opthalmologist called me this morning and said they are having “scheduling problems.” IOW it being the week of Christmas lots of people are taking vacation! He offered me a chance to get it done next week but I couldn’t arrange transportation so I’ll have to wait until the 29th. When he examined me and first told them to book my surgery he said once the new lens is in vision in my right eye will improve dramatically because it won’t be overworked and my prescription for my glasses is still good for it. So I’ll be able to see a lot better by year’s end, and if I need new glasses because something’s out of whack with my left eye (which only had needed mild ‘reading glasses’ help at my one month follow up I’ll get fitted for new glasses.
However my vision and therefore my ability to proof my own and Murf’s (when he posts) work will much much better.