Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) appeared on Sinclair’s The National News Desk to discuss a range of issues, including President Trump’s Middle East peace plan and the government shutdown.
Obamacare: A Path to Single-Payer, Not Affordability
The Florida Republican was sharp in his criticism of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, arguing that its design has always been a political maneuver aimed at ushering in a single-payer, government-run healthcare system.
Donalds asserted that the program has never been affordable and continues to drive up costs. “So it’s never been affordable. It wasn’t affordable in 2014. It’s definitely not affordable now. The costs are going to continue to rise,” he stated.
He posited that the push for premium tax credits by Democrats is simply to sustain a fundamentally flawed program, not solve the core issue of rising expenses.
Donalds compared current costs to the pre-ACA era, noting, “If people look at what happened before ObamaCare, premiums adjusted for inflation were actually 90% cheaper than they are today because of all of the additional regulations and requirements that ObamaCare put on health insurance.”
The Congressman concluded that the real debate going forward is between subsidizing increasingly expensive healthcare or transitioning to a system based on private markets, patient satisfaction, and doctor experience.
Middle East Peace: Hostage Release is Critical
Turning to foreign policy, Donalds commended President Trump and his team for their efforts in the Middle East, particularly regarding the hostage situation. He described the negotiation—which involves Israel and Hamas—as “monumental” and rare, emphasizing the crucial role of third-party mediators.
He singled out individuals like Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, crediting them for being “critical in doing this so they should be commended.”
He stressed that securing the release of the hostages is the linchpin to de-escalating the conflict. “We just need to get the hostages home, that’s where this whole conflict really hinges at this point. Get the hostages home, and there’s a real opportunity for peace,” Donalds said, adding that Hamas has been using the hostages for political and media leverage against Israel.
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