Thune to challenge Obamacare vote with GOP counterproposal
Senate Republicans, led by Senator John Thune, plan to respond to a Democratic vote on extending Obamacare subsidies with their own healthcare proposal. This GOP counterproposal aims to make health insurance more affordable for Americans, ensuring benefits go to patients rather than insurance companies and taxpayers. Unlike the Democrats’ plan to extend pandemic-era subsidies for three years,which Republicans criticize for fraud and cost masking,the GOP proposal-crafted by Senators bill Cassidy and Mike Crapo-would allocate funds to health savings accounts (HSAs) for eligible individuals with certain marketplace insurance plans and incomes under 700% of the poverty level. Democrats, led by Senator Chuck Schumer, have called the Republican plan “phony” and insist their subsidy extension is the realistic way to prevent premium hikes starting in 2026. Neither bill is expected to pass the Senate,but the debate will shape messaging ahead of upcoming midterm elections.
Thune to challenge Democrats’ Obamacare vote with GOP counterproposal
Senate Republicans plan to counter a Democratic-led vote on expiring Obamacare subsidies with a healthcare proposal of their own, marking a shift in strategy as the GOP debates how best to challenge Democrats on affordability.
“We will have an alternative that we will put up that reflects the views of the Republicans here in the United States Senate about how to make health insurance more affordable in this country, how to ensure that it’s not the insurance companies that are getting enriched but that it’s actually benefiting the patient, and how to make sure this is a good deal for American taxpayers,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) told reporters on Tuesday.
Thune was expected to skip a competing vote, with the party divided over the best legislation to present as an alternative, but ultimately decided to move ahead after discussing the vote at their daily conference lunch.
As part of a bipartisan deal last month to end the government shutdown, Thune agreed to let Democrats bring forward a bill to extend the premium credits offered under Obamacare. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ultimately settled on a three-year extension, but Republicans, meanwhile, plan to offer a proposal from Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), the chairmen of the health and finance committees, respectively.
Rather than extend the pandemic-era subsidies, which Republicans say are rife with fraud and mask the underlying costs of healthcare, the Cassidy-Crapo legislation would provide money to qualifying recipients for health savings accounts. Only those with bronze and catastrophic marketplace insurance plans and those earning less than 700% of the poverty level would qualify. Those aged 18-49 would receive $1,000 annually for an HSA, and those 50-65 would receive $1,500.
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On Tuesday, Schumer condemned the plan as a “phony proposal” equivalent to “junk insurance” and insisted the Democratic extension was the “only realistic” avenue to preventing millions of people from facing out-of-pocket premium increases starting Jan. 1, 2026.
Neither healthcare bill is expected to garner the 60 votes needed to advance, but the legislation will offer both sides a messaging opportunity ahead of the midterm elections.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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