Senate negotiators left Washington for the holidays without a resolution on the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. But with lawmakers increasingly shifting into campaign mode as the calendar flips to the new year, a vote in January is no sure thing. |
With the Dec. 31 deadline set to come and go, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to keep hopes alive that a deal could come together next month.
But they face numerous headwinds — chief among them being the fraught nature of health care rhetoric and the looming midterms, The Hill’s Al Weaver reports.
A group of nearly two dozen members occupying various political lanes across each party convened early last week with an eye toward unveiling a possible deal next month, with some even indicating hopes that a framework agreement could come by the end of the holiday work period.
“There was a simple concept on the table when we walked in. It was within the range of reason, but then it got more complicated. … The complicators, conceptually, might be OK [or] might not,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said, labeling the meeting a “productive discussion.”
Attendees said that they expect future meetings, but whether they continue to push the ball up the field — and keep talking during the two-week holiday break — remains an open question.
Both sides also have political considerations that could scuttle discussions at any time.
Meanwhile, out of pocket insurance costs for people with ObamaCare plans are set to double on average with the expiration of the enhanced subsidies. While lawmakers may get an earful from constituents back home, it’s not clear if that will be enough to overcome the GOP’s 15 year opposition to the health law.
The Senate voted on two competing health care proposals on Dec. 11. Both failed — though four Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of a Democratic bill to extend the subsidies for three years — and senators on both sides of the aisle have spent the days since trying to pick up the pieces and find a deal.
“There’s a lot of things that have to come together,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). “I’m not saying it’s likely, and I’m not saying it’s impossible.” |
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
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