Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) touted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) call to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, as he doubled down on his opposition to funding the government without addressing the expiring tax credits.
In remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, the Democratic leader read aloud from part of a social media post in which Greene said she’s “absolutely disgusted” that health insurance premiums could double if the ACA subsidies expire at the end of the year, breaking with her party on an issue at the center of the government shutdown standoff.
“I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district,” Greene wrote in the part of the post Schumer read aloud.
“So hold on to your hats,” Schumer continued in his floor remarks, after reading the post. “I think this is the first time I said this, but, on this issue, Representative Greene said it perfectly.”
“Representative Greene is absolutely right,” he added.
Greene, in her post on Monday night, made clear she does not support the ACA and thinks the entire health insurance system is flawed. But she criticized her party’s leadership for failing to make the expiring tax credits, which will affect many GOP constituents, more of a priority.
“Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!” she wrote, adding, “WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE ABSOLUTELY INSANE COST OF INSURANCE FOR AMERICANS.”
Schumer, in his remarks on Tuesday, blamed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for the shutdown and sharply criticized Johnson for refusing to negotiate with Democrats on their health care demands.
“Republicans can’t sit by and do nothing while American families pay thousands more out of pocket for health care. If the speaker doesn’t relent and these credits expire, people go bankrupt, people will get sick, some will die. Inaction would be reprehensible, and the Speaker needs to realize that,” Schumer said.
He called on President Trump to “step in” to facilitate negotiations and said he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) are ready to meet at Republicans’ convenience.
“Donald Trump needs to step in and get Speaker Johnson and Republicans in Congress to come to the table and engage in real negotiations to address this issue,” Schumer said. “Democrats stand ready and willing to negotiate. We urge Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to do the same.”
The government has been shut down since last Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans in the Senate failed to reach a funding deal, with Democrats demanding an extension of ACA subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.
Without action, enhanced tax credits passed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people afford coverage will expire at the end of the year. If they expire, premiums for ACA enrollees will increase more than 75 percent on average, according to health policy research group KFF.
While Democrats insist an extension be part of any short-term government funding legislation, GOP leaders have argued those discussions can wait until later in the year and should be separate from funding the government.
The White House reiterated that position in a statement to The Hill early Tuesday, responding to Greene’s lengthy post from the night before.
“The President’s position is clear: reopen the government with the clean, bipartisan CR that Democrats supported just 6 months ago and 13 times under Joe Biden and then we can have all the important policy discussions needed,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
“But right now, the Democrats are holding the American people hostage with a government shutdown because they want free health care for illegal aliens,” she added.