House GOP splits over Obamacare fix as costs poised to spike for millions
House Republicans are scrambling to find a solution to sky-high health costs as the clock ticks on Obamacare tax credits that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic.House GOP leaders have...
By Fox News · Fox News
House Republicans are scrambling to find a solution to sky-high health costs as the clock ticks on Obamacare tax credits that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. House GOP leaders have been busy working with different factions within their conference this week to shape the contours of a package aimed at lowering healthcare costs for Americans, but it’s not clear if there is yet consensus on legislation that could get support from all 220 Republican lawmakers — and those in the Senate. Speaker Mike Johnson , R-La., told Bloomberg News on Thursday that the House would vote on a healthcare plan by the end of this month. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., was less certain of a specific timeline, however, telling reporters, "We are meeting with all of our caucuses and building a coalition. And so when we're ready to go, we will." DEMS PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS TO KEEP OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES FIGHT ALIVE AFTER VOTE TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT "But the focus has always been, you know, bills that will lower costs and give families options to help them, so they're not trapped in the unaffordable care act," Scalise said. He was referring to the Obama administration-era Affordable Care Act (ACA) , colloquially known as Obamacare. Republicans have long criticized it as a broken system that’s served to fuel inflationary health insurance premium costs, but finding a solution that’s palatable to both Americans and officials in Washington has long eluded the GOP. Democrats in Congress voted twice to expand Obamacare during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to get more Americans healthcare coverage. That expansion is set to run out by the end of 2025, and Democrats claim that it will push Americans’ healthcare costs sky-high if the enhanced subsidies are allowed to expire. It’s also been a concern for a handful of Republicans, many of whom represent battleground districts that were critical to the GOP winning and keeping the House majority. DEMOCRATS ATTEMPT LAST-DITCH EFFORT TO SA…