Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) didn’t mince words Tuesday morning during an appearance on Fox Business, launching a two-pronged attack on current healthcare regulations and what he described as “political stunts” by his Democratic colleagues.
Speaking on Mornings with Maria, the Florida Republican argued that any legislative deal regarding short-term health subsidies must be paired with significant changes to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Donalds contended that the current regulatory framework has created “Cadillac health insurance plans” that are functionally useless for average Americans due to sky-high costs.
“The premiums are around $2,000 a month now. The deductibles are $12,000, $14,000, $16,000 a year,” Donalds said. “Most Americans don’t have the disposable income to actually access the plan.”
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Donalds told host Maria Bartiromo that he has been involved in discussions centered on introducing low-premium, low-deductible plans. He outlined a vision for coverage that handles basic healthcare needs while maintaining catastrophic protections for major medical events and coverage for pre-existing conditions.
“The policy itself really has no value to hardworking Americans,” Donalds added, insisting that Democratic Senators need to “redo the regulations” if they genuinely want to help constituents.
The conversation shifted sharply when addressing a recent video posted by Democratic members of Congress, which Donalds characterized as a call for military defiance against the Trump administration. He specifically called out Rep. Elissa Slotkin, dismissing the video as “pure stupidity” and a deflection tactic.
Donalds drew a sharp contrast between current Democratic outrage and their silence during the Obama administration, specifically referencing drone strikes overseas.
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“I don’t remember her saying anything when Barack Obama was droning Americans overseas… He called himself the droner-in-chief,” Donalds said. “They’re trying to demonstrate that they are a bunch of tough guys.”
He linked this behavior to the recent 40-day government shutdown, placing the blame squarely on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Donalds argued the shutdown wasn’t driven by policy disputes, but was a “political stunt” intended to prove Schumer could stand up to the President.
“While the American people are thinking about affordability, the Democrats are only concerned with political stunts,” Donalds concluded.
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