The U.S. Senate failed to pass two separate plans from Democrats and Republicans Thursday that were presented as solutions to the ACA subsidies set to expire at the end of December.
With no solution millions of Americans, including thousands of Alabamians, are set to lose healthcare or see their premiums double in January.
Both of Alabama’s senators, Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, voted in favor of the Republican plan and against the Democrat plan.
Britt put out a statement denouncing the vote on the Democrat health care plan as, “political theater.” The vote was promised to Democrats as part of the deal to end the government shutdown which Britt was credited for playing an important role in.
“What we saw today from Democrats’ health care vote was pure political theater,” Britt said. “Their plan props up a broken, UNAFFORDABLE system that’s wrought with fraud and failing the Alabamians who truly need it, all while extending COVID-era subsidies with no income caps.”
According to ABC News, the Republican plan would have ended the ACA subsidies and, “instead take the extra money from those tax credits and put it into health savings accounts for those who purchase bronze-level or “catastrophic” plans on the ACA exchanges.”
The Democrat plan intended to extend the existing ACA tax credits by three years.
President Donald Trump, Britt and other Republicans have previously said that they would not be in favor of a plan that extends the subsidies without any reforms.
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Selma, blamed “Republican failure” for the tax credits likely expiring.
“In a matter of days, Republican failure will cause roughly 130,000 Alabamians to lose health care coverage,” Sewell said. “Many will find themselves one diagnosis away from bankruptcy. Once again, Trump and Republicans have proven themselves utterly incapable of addressing our nation’s affordability crisis. The American people deserve better.”
Politico reported that time has effectively run out to pass legislation on the ACA subsidies as the Senate is expected to adjourn next week until January.