Senate healthcare action unlikely in 2025, majority leader Thune says
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D., put a nail in the Senate’s coffin today as he tries to address healthcare in 2025.
“We won’t get anything over by the end of this week. But I think there’s a potential path in January,” Thune said.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rejected GOP moderates’ idea for a temporary extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies as not meeting Congressional budget rules.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said there could be a “potential path forward” to address health care in January 2026. (Nathan Posner/Anatolia via Getty Images)
But this afternoon Johnson backed down and is ready to accept a plan from Rep. Nick LaLota, R-Y.
Instead of temporarily extending subsidies (which means insurance companies get the money), LaLota’s plan gives a two-year tax break to those who previously received Obamacare aid.
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President Trump says he won’t sign a bill that continues to send money to insurance companies. So the LaLota approach takes insurance companies out of the equation and policyholders get the tax credit.
Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Y) has proposed a plan that would provide a two-year tax break for people who previously received Obamacare aid. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo, File)
LaLota and others will present their plans to the House Rules Committee later this hour. It was believed that Johnson and the Rules panel would block the old plan to renew subsidies. But Johnson said in the afternoon that “there is a real possibility they will get a vote on this”.
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However, voting is far from a guarantee of a fix. And it’s far from certain that the House will pass the amendment and copy it into the GOP’s essential health care bill.
The House will debate and vote tomorrow on a bill that would allow “partnership” health care plans. This would allow a group of people to pool their money to purchase insurance plans and possibly save money.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) appeared skeptical that lawmakers could address the bonuses. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
Some moderates in swing districts remain dissatisfied and worry about political fallout in the 2026 midterm elections if Republicans fail to address health care.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) appeared skeptical that Congress could actually address skyrocketing premiums in 2026.
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“You can’t do that after January 1,” Schumer said. “It’s already expired. It’s not the same as before. When the expiration date passes, it means the toothpaste is out of the tube.”
Also today, Schumer refused to commit to Democrats using the same tactics to dominate Republicans on health care as the Jan. 30 deadline for funding the next government approaches.
