Trump is under pressure to deliver on a plan to address health care costs, especially on ACA premium subsidies. After getting their asses kicked in recent elections, Republicans are under a lot of pressure to deliver on what millions of people rely on to pay for coverage. Now that the subsidies are expiring, he's expected to deliver some kind of relief for the pain he needlessly inflicted on the public.
However, House members are feeling their oats after their unexpected vote to release the Epstein files, and apparently have not learned their lesson, because they are balking before a plan is even released. They will be out in next year's midterms if they don't address this. Via the New York Times:
The White House official said Mr. Trump was considering whether to impose tougher restrictions on who would be eligible for the subsidies. The White House did not provide details on what those restrictions might be, though they could include capping eligibility for wealthier Americans and requiring all enrollees to pay a minimum premium.
In floating the idea to extend the subsidies, the Trump administration has the opportunity to gauge the response from lawmakers, including conservative Republicans who have long targeted the Affordable Care Act for failing to sufficiently constrain health care costs.
Word of Mr. Trump’s deliberations have caused considerable pushback from Capitol Hill — both from the right and the left — and underscored how difficult it would be to get any health care policy passed in a deeply divided Congress.
“A vote to extend Obamacare… that’s the Republican solution to health care?” asked Representative Thomas Massie, the libertarian Kentucky Republican, on social media.
