{"id":315975,"date":"2025-11-27T03:05:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T03:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/315975\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T03:05:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T03:05:23","slug":"gop-divided-over-health-care-plan-circulated-by-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/315975\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP divided over health care plan circulated by White House"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A health care proposal circulated by the White House in recent days<\/a> is running into the reality of Republican divisions on the issue \u2014 a familiar struggle for a party that has been trying to scrap or overhaul the Affordable Care Act for the past 15 years.<\/p>\n

The tentative proposal from President Donald Trump<\/a> would extend expiring ACA subsidies for two years while adjusting eligibility requirements for recipients. The plan has so far been met with a stony silence on Capitol Hill as Republicans debate among themselves whether to overhaul the law, tweak it or simply let the subsidies expire. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s unclear now when the White House plan might be released, or if it will be released at all. <\/p>\n

The Republican indecision comes as the COVID-era tax credits are set to expire Jan. 1, creating sharp premium increases<\/a> for millions of Americans. Democrats who shut down the government for six weeks over the issue<\/a> are demanding a straight extension with no changes, though some indicated they could support a plan similar to the one circulated by the White House. <\/p>\n

But support may be harder to find in the GOP conference, where many lawmakers say costs are still too high and have been eager to make another run at repealing the ACA. The last effort in 2017 failed when Republicans couldn\u2019t decide on how to provide coverage to millions of Americans who depend on government-run marketplaces for their health care. It\u2019s a dilemma that persists for the party<\/a> after record numbers signed up for coverage this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., promised a group of moderate Democrats a vote on the ACA tax credits by mid-December in exchange for their votes to end the government shutdown. But it\u2019s unclear, so far, whether that arrangement will lead to a solution. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Speaking<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., responds to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to reopen the government if Republicans extend expiring health care subsidies for one year, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, day 38 of the government shutdown. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n

Speaking to reporters, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., responds to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to reopen the government if Republicans extend expiring health care subsidies for one year, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, day 38 of the government shutdown. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n

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Bipartisan compromise? <\/p>\n

Health care has long been one of the most politically fraught<\/a> topics on Capitol Hill, so a bipartisan compromise seems unlikely<\/a>. But the coming price spikes have motivated some lawmakers to look for points of agreement. <\/p>\n

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said last week that he hopes the subsidies are extended.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure some of my colleagues will be mad at me for saying this \u2014 if we don\u2019t address the subsidies issue in December, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to get addressed next year,\u201d Tillis said, adding that Democratic campaigns will be \u201cjust churning up all the very sympathetic stories\u201d if it isn\u2019t fixed. <\/p>\n

The draft White House proposal would put new income limits on the tax credits \u2014 at 700 percent of the federal poverty level, according to two people with knowledge of the proposal who requested anonymity to discuss it. The White House would also require those on Obamacare, regardless of the type of coverage, to pay some sort of premium for their plans. That would effectively end zero-premium plans for those with lower incomes, addressing a concern from Republicans who say the program has enabled fraud.<\/p>\n

Some Democrats have suggested they are open to those ideas as a part of broader negotiations. \u201cI\u2019m glad the president is reportedly considering a serious proposal,\u201d said New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, one of the Democrats who voted to end the shutdown<\/a>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"House<\/p>\n

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., center, flanked by Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., House minority whip, and Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., lead fellow Democrats to speak on the health care funding fight on the steps of the House before votes to end the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., center, flanked by Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., House minority whip, and Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., lead fellow Democrats to speak on the health care funding fight on the steps of the House before votes to end the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n

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Some Republicans have signaled support as well. Nebraska Rep. Mike Flood, the chairman of the business-oriented Republican Main Street Caucus, said in a statement that the group supports \u201cPresident Trump\u2019s ongoing efforts to address the ACA tax credit cliff with an extension.\u201d <\/p>\n

Several bipartisan bills in the House would extend the ACA credits for two years, with changes such as income limits for the enhanced credit. \u201cI think two years is really the sweet spot where everybody is OK,\u201d said Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. <\/p>\n

Premium spikes on Jan. 1 <\/p>\n

Still, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has declined to say whether he will allow a vote on a health care bill. Many other members of his GOP conference want to see the subsidies eliminated or the underlying law overhauled. In addition, Thune and other Republicans have said they want new language on abortion restrictions if they pass an extension \u2014 a dealbreaker for Democrats. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Speaker<\/p>\n

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks from the chamber to speak with reporters after the final vote to bring the longest government shutdown in history to an end, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., walks from the chamber to speak with reporters after the final vote to bring the longest government shutdown in history to an end, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/p>\n

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If Congress doesn\u2019t act, the enhanced premium tax credits that have helped many Americans pay for Affordable Care Act health insurance plans will disappear. And premiums could more than double for subsidized enrollees, according to an analysis<\/a> by the health care research nonprofit KFF.<\/p>\n

Signups for next year\u2019s insurance began on Nov. 1, meaning that many Americans are already planning for the higher costs. Democrats who forced the shutdown at the beginning of October had hoped to negotiate an extension before open enrollment began. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people\u2019s monthly payments spike next year, they will know it was Republicans that made it happen,\u201d Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said last week.<\/p>\n

Republicans could go at it alone <\/p>\n

As Democrats elevated the health care issue during the shutdown, some Republicans saw an opportunity to renew their efforts to overhaul the law. GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate have been meeting to find consensus, though they haven\u2019t found it yet. <\/p>\n

Among the GOP ideas are separate proposals from Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy to use savings accounts to either shop for insurance or defray out-of-pocket costs. Scott\u2019s legislation would create what he called \u201cTrump Health Freedom Accounts\u201d and make some changes to the health care law, including by allowing consumers to shop across state lines. Cassidy\u2019s narrower bill would create new savings accounts just to replace the enhanced subsidies that are expiring. <\/p>\n

The draft of the White House plan, meanwhile, would allow those in lower-tier plans, such as the bronze-level or catastrophic plans, to put money into health savings accounts.<\/p>\n

Those proposals are unlikely to win over Democrats. Schumer said last week that the savings accounts \u201cwill go nowhere in the Senate.\u201d <\/p>\n

Skeptical that the two parties will ever agree, some Republicans have suggested that they try to pass a health care package using budget maneuvers similar to Trump\u2019s \u201c Big Beautiful Bill<\/a> \u201d of tax and spending cuts. If it worked, they could pass the legislation with zero Democratic votes \u2014 a politically risky<\/a> strategy that could take months, well into the midterm election year. <\/p>\n

It all depends on Trump <\/p>\n

Some Republicans may be waiting for clear direction from Trump, who has been sending mixed signals about what he wants. <\/p>\n

For several weeks, Trump appeared to be backing the savings accounts on social media, posting as recently as Nov. 18 that \u201cTHE ONLY HEALTHCARE I WILL SUPPORT OR APPROVE IS SENDING THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING GOING TO THE BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHO HAVE MADE $TRILLIONS, AND RIPPED OFF AMERICA LONG ENOUGH.\u201d <\/p>\n

He added: \u201cCongress, do not waste your time and energy on anything else.\u201d <\/p>\n

Trump reiterated that message Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t give the money to the insurance companies,\u201d he told reporters Tuesday evening. \u201cYou give the money to the people.\u201d <\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Joey Cappelletti, Kevin Freking in Washington and Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 A health care proposal circulated by the White House in recent days is running into…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":315976,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[1927,2797,152131,9286,12,793,787,97,252,2601,253,127282,9283,45502,13410,111,11810,18907,9287,8638,9293,3438,26939,800],"class_list":["post-315975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-care","tag-ap-top-news","tag-bill-cassidy","tag-brian-fitzpatrick","tag-charles-schumer","tag-donald-trump","tag-general-news","tag-government-programs","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-health-care-industry","tag-healthcare","tag-jeanne-shaheen","tag-john-thune","tag-mike-flood","tag-mike-johnson","tag-politics","tag-rick-scott","tag-subsidies","tag-thom-tillis","tag-u-s-democratic-party","tag-u-s-government-shutdown","tag-u-s-republican-party","tag-united-states-congress","tag-washington-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315975\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/315976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}