Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is confident the Senate will hold a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies before the year is out, placing the burden of their final passage squarely on Republican leadership.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, Klobuchar declared that a vote “will happen,” though she noted the ultimate outcome rests in the hands of President Donald Trump and the GOP.
The subsidies, which are set to expire on December 31, became a major point of contention during the recent 43-day government shutdown. To help end the funding lapse, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) reportedly agreed to grant a floor vote on the issue by mid-December.
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While the Senate appears ready to move, the path forward in the House remains unclear. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has signaled little interest in bringing a vote to the floor, despite a recent letter from 58 House Democrats urging him to act.
Policy disagreements persist on how best to deliver the aid. While a bipartisan House bill proposes a standard two-year extension of the credits, President Trump and various Republicans have floated alternative ideas, such as routing payments directly to consumers rather than insurance companies.
The clock is ticking for millions of Americans who rely on the tax credits. Originally passed during the pandemic and extended by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the subsidies keep costs lower for enrollees. If they are allowed to lapse, premiums are expected to surge in 2026.
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Klobuchar warned that if the GOP blocks the extension, Democrats intend to make the higher costs a central campaign issue.
“If they don’t want to do anything about people’s costs… then we will simply have to beat them in the midterms,” she said.
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