CRBC News
Culture
Society
Security
Health
Conflict
Science
Technology
Politics
Environment
Lifestyle
Economy

Klobuchar: Senate Will Vote on Extending ACA Premium Subsidies Before Year‑End

Sen. Amy Klobuchar says the Senate will hold a vote this year to extend ACA premium subsidies set to expire at year‑end, telling CNN the outcome depends on former President Trump and Senate Republicans. The subsidies, expanded during the COVID pandemic and extended by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, were a central issue during a recent 43‑day shutdown. Klobuchar vowed Democrats will force a vote and warned that inaction could cost Republicans in the midterm elections.

05:26 AM, 12/01/2025Politics

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D‑Minn.) said Sunday she expects the Senate to hold a vote this year to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies that are scheduled to expire at the end of December.

“That vote will happen. And whether it will pass is in the hands of Donald Trump and the Republicans,” Klobuchar told Dana Bash on CNN’s State of the Union.

The subsidies became a flash point during the recent 43‑day government shutdown that ended earlier this month. If the refundable tax credits are allowed to lapse, millions of people could face significantly higher premiums in 2026.

Sen. John Thune (R‑S.D.) recently offered a compromise to several Democratic senators — giving them a chance to hold a vote on the premium payments by mid‑December in exchange for their support to end the funding lapse. In the House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R‑La.) has shown little interest in taking up the measure, prompting 58 House Democrats to send him a letter urging a vote.

Proposals differ across the political spectrum. Some Republicans and former President Donald Trump have suggested routing assistance directly to consumers rather than to insurers, while a bipartisan House bill would extend the subsidies for two years.

Klobuchar said Democrats will press to force a vote and try to win enough Republican support to pass an extension before the subsidies expire. She warned that if Republicans refuse to act on rising costs — from health care to groceries, and amid what she described as "punishing Trump tariffs" — voters could hold them accountable in the midterm elections.

“If they don’t want to do anything about people’s costs and their grocery bills and their health care…we will simply have to beat them in the midterms. We have no other choice,” Klobuchar said.

Background: The premium tax credits were first expanded during the COVID‑19 pandemic and were later extended by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Lawmakers on both sides are racing to resolve the issue before year‑end to avoid a sharp premium increase for millions of enrollees.

Similar Articles

Trending

Klobuchar: Senate Will Vote on Extending ACA Premium Subsidies Before Year‑End - CRBC News