As the federal government shutdown reaches its 38th day, President Trump urged Senate Republicans to abolish Obamacare and redirect federal healthcare funds “straight to the people.”
He stated, “To improve the inadequate health care provided by Obamacare, I suggest that Senate Republicans take the hundreds of billions currently given to profit-driven insurance companies and distribute that money directly to Americans, enabling them to purchase better health care and have funds leftover.”
Trump elaborated that, in his view, the plan would remove what he called “the world’s worst health insurance for every dollar spent” from insurance companies and provide it directly to citizens.
This call came during an unusually busy Saturday session for the Senate, where efforts to temporarily extend government funding and reopen several federal agencies fell flat.
The subsidies for Obamacare are a major point of contention for Senate Democrats, who have resisted endorsing a House-passed bill aimed at government reopening without slashing the subsidies, which are expected to increase soon.
Recently, Democrats turned down a new Republican suggestion to fully fund three agencies while offering only short-term funding for the rest.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed a plan to reopen the government temporarily while maintaining federal health subsidies for an additional year, but Senate Republicans dismissed this idea, opting to negotiate the subsidies after the government is back in operation.
Additionally, Trump called for the “cancellation of the filibuster!”—the Senate’s requirement of a 60-vote supermajority for legislation. Some Senate Republicans are wary of this, as it could backfire against them if they lose control in the future.
The implications of the shutdown are worsening, with growing concerns about disruptions in air travel, as air traffic controllers struggle with scheduling, resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations without pay during this period.
Meanwhile, ongoing legal battles surrounding the administration’s plan for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments continue. An executive order from Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson now permits the Trump administration to temporarily suspend these benefits.
