Reports suggest that President Donald Trump quietly cancelled a planned announcement on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies after concerns surfaced about intense pushback inside his own party.
According to a report from MS NOW journalist Jake Traylor, two White House insiders said Trump was preparing to introduce a plan aimed at slowing the rise of Obamacare premiums. But after Traylor revealed that congressional Republicans were resisting the proposal, the announcement was suddenly paused.
Traylor and reporter Mychael Schnell wrote that the draft plan would have allowed people earning up to 700 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify for a two-year extension of ACA subsidies. Enrollees would reportedly still be required to pay a minimum premium.
A White House spokesperson declined to confirm any details and responded simply that any reporting about the administration’s healthcare strategy was “speculation” until the president makes an official statement.
This reported pullback comes at a politically sensitive moment. Moderate Republicans and lawmakers in competitive states are increasingly worried about the fallout if the subsidies expire at the end of the year. Without an extension, millions of Americans have been warned that their premiums could jump significantly on January 1.
Democratic senators plan to push for an extension next month, and some Republicans want a counter-proposal ready before the vote. However, GOP senators still appear divided on how to approach the issue, even though Trump has signaled support for directing more federal assistance straight to consumers to help with insurance costs.
The situation highlights a familiar political battle. During Trump’s first term, Republicans tried and failed to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. That defeat played a major role in the party’s losses during the 2018 midterms. This time, Trump seems to be scaling back ambitions to fully undo the law, instead focusing on rising healthcare costs and the expiring subsidies that many families rely on.
For now, the pressure is squarely on Congress. Unless lawmakers act or Trump reverses course the tax credits that help roughly 24 million people afford marketplace plans will lapse at the start of the year, driving premiums sharply higher.
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