Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) highlighted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) recent comments advocating for the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies while opposing the funding of the government without first addressing expiring tax credits.
On the Senate floor Tuesday, Schumer shared excerpts from Greene’s social media posts. She expressed her “absolute disgust” at the prospect of health insurance premiums potentially doubling if ACA subsidies are allowed to lapse at year’s end, marking a divergence from typical party lines amid the ongoing budget standoff.
In one of her posts, Greene noted, “I’m going to disagree with you on this issue, because when the tax credit expires this year, my own 2026 adult child insurance premiums will double, and so will the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district.”
“So hold on to your hats,” Schumer remarked after reading Greene’s words. “I don’t think I’ve said this before, but Congressman Greene hit the nail on the head.” He concurred with her perspective, adding, “Senator Greene is absolutely right.”
Greene, in her Monday night post, made it clear that she does not support the ACA and sees the entire health insurance model as flawed. Nevertheless, she criticized party leadership for not prioritizing the expiring tax credits that impact many Republican constituents.
She wrote, “No one in Republican leadership talked to us about this or gave us a plan to help Americans deal with doubling their health insurance costs!!! We need to tackle the absurdly high insurance premiums.”
During his address, Schumer blamed House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for the government shutdown, sharply condemning his refusal to negotiate with Democrats on healthcare issues.
“Republicans can’t sit on the sidelines while American families face soaring healthcare costs. If the Speaker doesn’t change course and these credits expire, people could face bankruptcy, fall ill, or even die. This inaction is unacceptable,” Schumer declared.
He urged President Trump to step in to facilitate negotiations, expressing that he and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are ready to meet at Republicans’ convenience.
“We need Donald Trump to engage with Chairman Johnson and the Republicans in Congress to seriously address this issue. Democrats are open to negotiations, and we ask Trump and Congressional Republicans to join us,” Schumer stated.
The government has been in a shutdown since last Wednesday after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on a funding deal. Democrats are pushing for the extension of ACA subsidies that are set to expire at year’s end.
Enhanced tax credits, introduced to assist people in purchasing insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, will end unless further action is taken. The health policy research group KFF indicates that ACA members could see average premium increases of over 75% when these credits lapse.
While Democrats assert that this extension should be part of a short-term funding law, Republican leaders contend that these discussions can wait until later this year and should not be tied to government funding.
The White House reiterated this viewpoint in a statement early Tuesday, responding to Greene’s extensive post from the night before. White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson remarked, “The President’s position is clear: Reopening the government with the clean, bipartisan CR that Democrats supported just six months ago will enable us to engage in essential policy discussions.” She added, “But now Democrats are using this shutdown to hold Americans hostage while demanding free health care for illegal aliens.”
