Va. Democrats push ACA credit extension
Several House Democrats bashed the idea of a one-year extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies during a press call this morning, arguing that Congress must go bigger.
The call with members from Virginia — where the impacts of a government shutdown will be felt deeply — underscored how Democrats are digging in on health care in the funding fight.
“A one-year extension is just a gimmick because Republicans know they have a problem, but they can’t figure out how to solve it,” Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.) said. “And the way to solve it is to make these tax… credits permanent.”
It’s a fellow Virginian, GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans, who introduced the bill to extend the enhanced premium tax credits for one year without changes. A handful of vulnerable Republicans are signed on, as well as nine Democrats. Kiggans framed it as a way to give time for Congress to “reasonably phase out” the benefits.
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said a one-year patch would be “better than nothing.” But he added that Democrats also have to consider that the biggest outcome from a one-year extension would be softening the blow politically for Republicans.
Here’s Scott:
It’s clear vulnerable Republicans are eager to avoid the political blow of spiking health care costs just before election time. But if Congress kicks the issue to 2026, Americans could start getting notices about rising costs on the horizon in the weeks before Election Day. So that’s not great either.
Shutdown messaging. The Virginia Democrats said on the call that they’re hearing back home that constituents want them to fight on health care now.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said the “great irony” of the situation is how much GOP cuts to Medicaid spending and the Obamacare cliff impact red districts in his state.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) said the health care fight can’t wait.
“This moment right now requires us to do more than just sit back and decide that business as usual and things are normal right now,” Subramanyam said. “Things are not normal.”