Collins, Moreno unveil Obamacare plan as Republicans search for solution to expiring subsidies
A Senate Republican duo unveiled their vision for expiring Obamacare premium subsidies as the Senate hurtles toward a vote on the credits at the end of this week.Sens. Susan Collins,...
By Fox News · Fox News
A Senate Republican duo unveiled their vision for expiring Obamacare premium subsidies as the Senate hurtles toward a vote on the credits at the end of this week. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, announced their plan to tackle the subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year. Their proposal, made public on Monday, would extend the subsidies for two years. The upper chamber is set to vote on legislation dealing with the expiring subsidies on Thursday, but so far only Senate Democrats have united behind a proposal from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that would extend the credits for three years. SENATE DEMOCRATS PUSH OBAMACARE SUBSIDY VOTE 'DESIGNED TO FAIL' AS REPUBLICANS CALL PLAN UNSERIOUS Schumer's plan is likely dead on arrival, given that it lacks any of the reforms to the subsidies demanded by the GOP. And Republicans are mulling several options, but have so far not picked legislation to form up behind and put on the floor in a possible side-by-side vote. Moreno and Collins hope that their legislation, which would also put an income cap onto the subsidies for households making up to $200,000 and eliminate zero-cost premiums as a fraud preventive measure by requiring a $25 minimum monthly payment, gets a shot. Moreno argued that former President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party "created this disaster, lining the pockets of massive insurance companies while healthcare costs for everyday Americans skyrocketed." ABORTION RESTRICTIONS CREATE MAJOR ROADBLOCK FOR BIPARTISAN OBAMACARE SUBSIDY DEAL IN SENATE "But I refuse to let the American people pay the price for the Democrats’ incompetence," he said in a statement. "I am willing to work with anyone to finally bring down costs for all Americans and hope my colleagues across the aisle will commit to doing the same." Collins said that lawmakers needed to "pursue practical solutions that increase affordability without creating sudden disruptions in coverage," wi…