GOP leaders are faced with a dilemma: Either they extend the subsidies and endorse ObamaCare, which Republicans have long opposed, or they let the subsidies expire ahead of next year's midterms and deal with the fallout, blaming Democrats for high costs.
There are several bipartisan plans in the House. Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) has introduced both a one-year extension and a two-year extension.
A pair of GOP lawmakers — Reps. Don Bacon and (Neb.) and Jeff Hurd (Colo.) — have championed a two-year plan. And Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) is racing to finalize a separate two-year proposal.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters he plans to put a proposal on the floor for a vote but hasn't said which proposal, and it's unlikely to be bipartisan.
Senate Republicans on Monday were also circulating at least three separate, competing proposals.
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) circulated a plan that would let the enhanced subsidies expire and instead give individuals $1,000 or $1,500 into an Health Savings Account (HSA)— for high-deductible and catastrophic plans— and allowing those accounts to help pay for premiums.
GOP Sens. Bernie Moreno (Ohio) and Susan Collins (Maine) introduced a bill on Monday that included a two-year extension along with a slate of reforms intended to appease conservatives, like an income cap for households earning $200,000 or more and requiring all plans to have a $25 minimum monthly payment.
Meanwhile, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) released his own plan that includes a one-year extension, followed by "Hyde-protected" HSA-style accounts beginning in 2027.
Senate Democrats have proposed a "clean" extension of the subsidies for three years, and a vote is expected on Thursday as part of the agreement for reopening the government. It's destined to fail, as Republicans say a clean extension is a nonstarter.
Public health group launches anti-RFK Jr. messaging machine
The healthcare access nonprofit Protect Our Care is launching a major expansion of its Public Health Watch project, designed for "tracking and exposing the administration's attacks on America's health," according to plans shared with The Hill.
The project will issue rapid response communications as well as issue research briefs, data-driven reports and talking points, all to counteract "attacks on public health" under the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The effort will be led by communications and research veterans Kayla Hancock and Jeremy Funk.
"Public Health Watch's mission is clear: the more the American people learn about Donald Trump and Secretary Kennedy's unfounded attacks on our health, the more lives we can save. They are only making America sicker by gutting vital public health programs and spreading dangerous misinformation," Protect Our Care chair Leslie Dach said in a statement.
"The Trump administration treats trusted public health institutions, doctors, and scientists like the enemy, while they weaken public health for all Americans," said Dach. "The Trump-RFK Jr. policies holding up research on diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's and making it harder for families to access life-saving vaccines is a recipe for one public health crisis after another."
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