House GOP leaders on Tuesday criticized the enhanced ACA premium tax credits that expire Dec. 31 and signaled a preference for replacing them with conservative alternatives rather than extending the subsidies. A presentation from Steve Scalise claimed premiums have risen about 80% since the ACA and said more than half of enrollees filed no claims this year. The party is split: vulnerable moderates push for an extension, while conservatives favor an overhaul and reconciliation. Lawmakers and the White House say multiple bills could be unveiled before year‑end as negotiations with Democrats continue.
House GOP Pushes to Replace Expiring ACA Credits, Exposing a Deep Intra‑Party Split
House GOP leaders on Tuesday criticized the enhanced ACA premium tax credits that expire Dec. 31 and signaled a preference for replacing them with conservative alternatives rather than extending the subsidies. A presentation from Steve Scalise claimed premiums have risen about 80% since the ACA and said more than half of enrollees filed no claims this year. The party is split: vulnerable moderates push for an extension, while conservatives favor an overhaul and reconciliation. Lawmakers and the White House say multiple bills could be unveiled before year‑end as negotiations with Democrats continue.
12:04 AM, 11/19/2025Politics
House Republicans debate path forward as enhanced ACA tax credits near expiration
House Republican leaders convened Tuesday morning to press members on replacing the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits that are set to expire Dec. 31, presenting a plan that sharply criticized the subsidies and signaled a preference for conservative alternatives rather than a straight extension.
A slide deck shared by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise — including a slide titled “The Unaffordable Care Act” — argued that premiums have climbed roughly 80% since the ACA’s enactment and asserted that more than half of current enrollees did not file a claim this year. POLITICO viewed the slides; those figures were presented as claims by GOP leadership during the meeting.
Republicans remain divided on the best approach to keep health-care costs down. Some members and vulnerable moderates want a clean extension of the enhanced tax credits to avoid a sharp premium spike, while conservative leaders and activists favor an overhaul: proposals include expanding health savings accounts and pursuing party-line reconciliation to advance a GOP health-care package.
From Truth Social: "THE ONLY HEALTHCARE I WILL SUPPORT OR APPROVE IS SENDING THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING GOING TO THE BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES." — President Donald Trump
Walking into the meeting, Scalise said he planned to coordinate with the chairs of the three committees that oversee health policy — Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and the Workforce — and to move legislation through regular order. But some rank‑and‑file Republicans pushed back: Rep. Nathaniel Moran questioned why leaders only recently began criticizing the enhanced credits instead of developing alternatives months earlier.
Rep. August Pfluger, chair of the Republican Study Committee, urged a partisan path forward and said the party should use budget reconciliation to pass a GOP health-care bill, arguing Democrats cannot produce a plan that reduces costs transparently and competitively.
The White House has also been active. Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair said there is limited appetite for bipartisan talks, and the administration has hosted meetings with providers, hospitals and legislative staff to shore up options as the Dec. 31 deadline approaches. Officials and lawmakers told reporters the conference plans to unveil multiple bills on health policy before year‑end, though no firm timeline has been announced.
Democrats, meanwhile, are largely pushing for a "clean" extension of the subsidies, though many moderate Democrats say they would consider modifications in negotiation. With the subsidies' expiration looming and political stakes high ahead of the 2026 midterms, lawmakers from both parties face pressure to act quickly.