President Donald Trump is delaying a planned announcement of a proposal to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, according to two White House officials, after congressional Republicans pushed back against the president’s sudden embrace of the expiring subsidies.
Trump was expected to unveil a plan aimed at halting ACA premium spikes on Monday, as first reported by MS NOW. But the reveal has been postponed — though not canceled — said the White House officials, who were granted anonymity to discuss the internal strategy.
Both White House officials noted that Trump’s announcement — which was never officially on the schedule — would take place soon. But they acknowledged the initial plan, which would have sought to end “surprise premium hikes” for those on Obamacare programs, was being actively reworked.
“Until President Trump makes an announcement himself, any reporting about the Administration’s healthcare positions is mere speculation,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said.
While the White House sought to downplay the seriousness of the delay, Republicans indicated they were surprised and angered by a plan that would help preserve the Affordable Care Act.
“I wasn’t expecting the proposal to be Obamacare-lite,” a conservative House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-released plan. “Absolutely not supportive of extending ACA subsidies.”
“I’ve talked to enough [Republicans] to know that people weren’t expecting this and aren’t happy about it,” this lawmaker added. “I don’t see how a proposal like this has any chance of getting majority Republican support. We need to be focused on health care, but extending Obamacare isn’t even serious.”
Another conservative House Republican, who also requested anonymity to speak candidly about the proposal, told MS NOW that lawmakers knew the White House was working on something. “But not with a primary focus on the subsidies,” this Republican said.
‘I wasn’t expecting the proposal to be Obamacare-lite,’ said a conservative House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-released plan. ‘Absolutely not supportive of extending ACA subsidies.’
The White House appears not to have sought significant input from Capitol Hill on the plan, with Republicans who spoke to MS NOW suggesting that most lawmakers were unaware the administration’s health care proposal would include an extension of the subsidies. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., were expected to be briefed for the first time on the plan Sunday afternoon.
The delay comes as the president — and Hill Republicans — are caught in a bind over health care. Covid-era subsidies for nearly 22 million Americans who get their health insurance through the ACA exchanges are set to lose those plans at the end of the year, a change that would cause massive price spikes in red and blue states alike.
Thune promised a vote on extending the subsidies to Democrats, who agreed to end the recent government shutdown as long as they secured a vote to extend them.
Despite the lack of an official announcement, some Republicans who were learning the broad strokes of Trump’s plan from the media were not especially happy with it.
“I would absolutely NOT be supportive of that,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told MS NOW of extending the subsidies on Monday morning. “Since I last checked, Covid has been over for some time. This is definitely not the DOGE thing to do,” he added, referring to the cost-cutting agency formerly run by president adviser Elon Musk.
Other Republicans were more succinct. When MS NOW asked fellow Freedom Caucus member Greg Steube, R-Fla., if he would be supportive of the White House health-care proposal, he had a two-letter response: “No.”
Another conservative House Republican, who requested anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-released plan, told MS NOW they were also skeptical of the idea.
“Fix health care for working Americans or don’t talk to me about subsidies,” this lawmaker said.
Trump’s proposal — whatever it may end up being, and whenever it may end up coming — would mark a significant development in the ongoing health care discussion in Washington. If Republicans suddenly relented and agreed to extend the ACA subsidies, even in a slightly modified form, that would mark a significant win for Democrats.
For weeks, Republicans have railed against extending the subsidies, arguing that Obamacare is broken and that extending the subsidies would amount to padding the coffers of insurance companies.
“I’m not putting a Band-Aid on something that’s broken,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told reporters last week.
Of course, not every Republican was opposed to the idea. More moderate Republicans, such as Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., have been pushing the GOP to extend the subsidies. And Rep. Jeff Van Drew, the Democrat turned Republican from New Jersey who told the president that Republicans should just extend the subsidies, told MS NOW on Monday that he would be supportive of the draft plan.
“Surely a lot better than where we started,” Van Drew said. “Have to look at it as well.”
Other Republicans were anxious to see the details of Trump’s plan, but sounded supportive of an extension. Even Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., a mostly conservative Republican, called the reported plan “a start.”
“Of course I’d like to see some of those minute details that affect some of my poorest folks, but yeah, I could see myself supporting something like that,” Burchett told MS NOW. “This brings us to the table.”
Politico reported Sunday night that the president’s proposal would extend the Obamacare subsidies for two years but implement several limits on eligibility, including income caps for individuals who qualify for the enhanced tax credits and minimum premium payments. The outlet cited two people with direct knowledge of the proposal.
However, with the plan now under discussion, the proposal could change dramatically.
Democrats are waiting to see what the president puts forward.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said they’ll evaluate any White House proposal “on the merits.” In an interview with WNYC radio, Jeffries said Democrats have long been warning about the pending rise in Obamacare premiums — including throughout the month and a half long shutdown — and likened this to an “11th hour” salvo from the president.
Jeffries just recently introduced a discharge petition aimed at extending the enhanced subsidies for three years. It so far remains short of the necessary signatures required to force a vote on the House floor.
A Senate Democratic aide, who was not authorized to speak on the record, told MS NOW the White House’s reported engagement is a “very positive step” but noted the “devil will be in the details.”
Rep. John Mannion, D-N.Y., told MS NOW in a statement that he’d review whatever the White House puts forward, but added, “I haven’t seen a plan from the president — or even the concept of a plan — to address the health-care affordability catastrophe that he and his allies in Congress created.”
One item both Democrats and Republicans will be watching closely is how the White House’s proposal deals with abortion.
Democrats were insistent during the shutdown that an extension of the subsidies not include new language further restricting insurance companies from covering abortions. Already, the Affordable Care Act has restrictions that prevent federal money from going toward abortions — consistent with the so-called Hyde Amendment. But Republicans were aiming to broaden those restrictions, a potential red line for Democrats.
“It would kill the whole thing,” one House Democrat, who spoke to MS NOW on the condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of discussions, said.
Kevin Frey contributed to this report.
Jake Traylor
Jake Traylor is a White House correspondent for MS NOW.
Mychael Schnell is a reporter for MS NOW.