Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has shifted a significant portion of the blame for increasing health care premiums onto her own party, stating that Republicans should have addressed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its expiring tax credits earlier.
The expiration of these subsidies, tied to the ACA, became a key point of contention for Democrats as they challenged the House-passed continuing resolution aimed at reopening the government after a funding lapse of over a month.
In a recent interview with comedian Bill Maher, Greene criticized her party, particularly House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), for failing to provide more clarity on the supposed ACA reform plans.
“Democrats initiated Obamacare, yet Republicans haven’t taken steps to rectify the existing issues,” she said on “Real Time.” “And I doubt that it’s going to be an easy fix.”
“However, this is something we need to be planning for, and it’s been a month without any policy ideas from Mike Johnson,” she added, expressing her frustration.
Greene contended that the current health care law is burdensome for the middle class and small business owners, many of whom pay for their own insurance. She mentioned that her family’s insurance premiums skyrocketed from $800 to over $2,400 a month due to the 2010 law.
“Congress needs to tackle these issues,” Greene asserted. “But these problems remain unresolved, and I attribute that to Republican leadership.”
Her remarks were reminiscent of previous comments she made about the need for lawmakers to return to D.C. to address rising health care costs.
Johnson informed reporters on Monday that Republicans are developing an alternative to the ACA.
“We’ve been addressing the health care issue for years,” he mentioned during a news conference.
Meanwhile, President Trump encouraged Republican lawmakers to collaborate with Democrats to create a solution that would outperform Obamacare, arguing that it “never worked.”
“This is a prime opportunity for both sides to come together and develop something effective that would also be profitable for insurance companies,” Trump stated while on Air Force One.
However, Greene expressed her skepticism, mentioning that she hasn’t seen any concrete plans yet.
“I’m still waiting for those plans; they haven’t surfaced,” she told Maher.
Open enrollment for the ACA starts on Saturday without the subsidies, which could lead to even higher premiums for low-income families next year.
