Treasury Secretary Comments on ACA Overhaul
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Sunday that there is currently no formal proposal to revise the Affordable Care Act (ACA), despite President Trump’s recent push for a repeal of the law in favor of providing direct financial assistance to Americans.
During an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week,” Bessent addressed Trump’s comments, saying, “There is no formal proposal,” when pressed on the issue.
On Saturday, President Trump weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding enhanced ACA subsidies that are scheduled to end this year, which could lead to increased health insurance costs for millions. Extending this assistance has been a key focus for Senate Democrats over the past six weeks, as they have repeatedly attempted to block Republican efforts to reopen the government.
Trump suggested that instead of funneling money to insurance companies under Obamacare, the administration should allocate those funds directly to Americans. He stated, “I propose to Senate Republicans that we take the hundreds of billions of dollars that are currently being sent to money-siphoning insurance companies to salvage the poor health care provided by Obamacare and send them directly to Americans, so they can buy better health care for themselves and have money left over.”
Continuing his remarks, he criticized the existing system, saying, “In other words, we’re going to take away from the big bad insurance companies and give it to the people, and for every dollar spent, we’re going to eliminate Obamacare, which is the worst health insurance in the world.”
Bessent faced further questioning from Stephanopoulos, who pointed out the president’s frequent posts addressing the potential overhaul.
Bessent replied, “We are not proposing that to the Senate right now, no.” When asked about Trump’s online comments, he emphasized that reopening the government is a priority before any negotiations concerning health care can take place.
“George, as you know, the president posted about it, but again, first we have to reopen the government. We’re not going to negotiate with the Democrats until they reopen the government,” Bessent concluded. “It’s that simple: Reopen the government and we can talk.”
