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Congress Adjourns Without Addressing Looming Health Care Premium Spike
Congress closed its doors last Thursday without resolving one of the most pressing issues facing American consumers: skyrocketing health care premiums set to hit millions of households in January. Despite health care dominating Capitol Hill discussions throughout the fall, lawmakers left Washington without enacting a legislative fix for expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
The congressional exodus began Thursday afternoon as the House called its final vote and representatives rushed for the exits. Democrats made last-minute appeals to keep Congress in session to address the impending premium increases.
“Don’t send us home without a vote,” implored House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) during a press conference on the Capitol steps. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) was more pointed, declaring: “Our message to Mike Johnson is clear. You can run. But you cannot hide.”
The failure to act means millions of Americans face substantial health insurance premium increases starting January 1, when pandemic-era subsidies expire. While lawmakers from both parties acknowledge the severity of the situation, they’ve pushed any solution to 2026.
“I’m optimistic that we still have a chance to do better in 2026,” said Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), while Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) suggested action might come “before the end of January.”
The timing is significant because 2026 is a midterm election year. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) acknowledged the political calculus: “I think that Members of Congress are going to start hearing from their constituents.”
This political pressure is already affecting vulnerable representatives. Freshman Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pa.), who flipped a Democratic district by just one point in 2024, became one of four House Republicans – dubbed the “Fed Up 4” – to break ranks with party leadership and join Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force a vote on extending the subsidies for three years.
“There is no silver bullet. If there was, either party would have done it,” Mackenzie said, defending his decision to buck party leadership. When asked about potential political consequences in his battleground district, he replied: “We have a long way to go before the midterms.”
The discharge petition mechanism requires waiting seven legislative days before consideration. With the House scheduled to return January 6, 2027, this procedural maneuver could reach the floor around January 8 or 9. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI) predicted on Fox Business that “the COVID era subsidies, because we had the four members of the House sign onto that discharge petition, probably will pass.”
However, the Senate previously blocked a similar plan earlier this month, making any comprehensive solution before premium increases take effect highly unlikely. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) acknowledged the damage already done: “Huge damage has already been done. And nothing we do after January 1st can undo so much of that damage.”
Some Republicans are advocating a more partisan approach through budget reconciliation, which would allow passage of health care legislation with a simple majority vote in the Senate, bypassing the filibuster. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) questioned why Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) hasn’t pursued this strategy: “For the life of me, I cannot figure out why my friend Thune will not agree to do another reconciliation bill.”
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) suggested Democrats prefer keeping health care as a campaign issue rather than solving the problem: “They’re an obstruction party. They despise President Trump. We have majorities. We should use them.”
The fundamental challenge remains that congressional Republicans have never united around a health care plan that could pass both chambers – even when they controlled Congress and the White House in 2017.
As lawmakers departed for the holidays, they traded blame rather than presents. Schumer accused Republicans of forcing Americans to “pay hundreds, if not thousands more on their premiums next year,” while Speaker Johnson countered that “Democrats do not want a solution. They want a campaign talking point.”
Democrats previously attempted to leverage government funding negotiations to secure the health care subsidies. With another funding deadline approaching on January 30, the health care issue could return to the forefront, though Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) suggested Democrats might not revive their health care demands, noting “it’s a different time frame.”
For millions of Americans facing higher insurance costs, the message from Washington is clear: wait until next year.
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16 Comments
The failure to address the looming premium increases is very concerning. While healthcare is a complex and partisan issue, Congress needs to put politics aside and find a bipartisan solution to protect consumers.
Agreed, this is a critical issue that requires pragmatic, good-faith negotiation from both sides of the aisle. Millions of Americans are counting on Congress to act.
It’s disappointing to see Congress leave this critical issue unresolved. Allowing the ACA subsidies to expire will put affordable healthcare further out of reach for many families. Lawmakers should prioritize this before the new year.
Exactly, this will exacerbate the healthcare affordability crisis at a difficult economic time. Congress needs to show leadership and find a bipartisan solution to protect consumers.
While healthcare policy is complex, the human impact of these potential premium hikes is very real. Congress must put politics aside and find a way to extend the ACA subsidies before the new year.
Well said. This is about protecting access to affordable healthcare for millions of Americans, not partisan posturing. Lawmakers need to step up and deliver a solution.
With inflation and economic uncertainty already straining household budgets, the timing of these potential premium hikes could not be worse. Congress must act quickly to find a solution before the new year.
Absolutely, this will add further financial pressure on struggling families. Lawmakers should make this a top priority and find a way to extend the ACA subsidies.
This is a concerning development for millions of Americans struggling with rising healthcare costs. Congress needs to find a bipartisan solution to address the expiring ACA subsidies before people are hit with steep premium hikes in January.
Agreed, the timing of this could not be worse with high inflation already straining household budgets. Lawmakers need to act quickly to provide relief before the new year.
It’s disappointing that Congress couldn’t come together to address this before the holiday recess. Allowing these premium hikes to take effect in January will be a major setback for healthcare affordability.
Absolutely, this will be a significant financial burden for many families. Congress needs to show leadership and make this a top priority when they return in the new year.
This is a concerning development for the millions of Americans who rely on the ACA subsidies to access affordable healthcare. Congress needs to work quickly to find a solution before these premium increases take effect.
Agreed, this will be a major challenge for many households already facing high inflation and economic uncertainty. Lawmakers should make this a priority in the new year.
This is a politically charged issue, but the impacts will be very real for millions of Americans. I hope Congress can put partisan differences aside and work together to prevent these premium hikes before January.
Well said. The stakes are too high for political games. Lawmakers need to put people before politics and find a compromise to address this looming healthcare crisis.