Trump aides are discussing proposals to extend Obamacare subsidies.
Political Risk Runs Both Ways
The Wall Street Journal reports White House Senses Political Risk on Healthcare Despite Shutdown Bravado
President Trump has projected unwavering confidence that he is winning the messaging war over the government shutdown. But behind the scenes, his team is increasingly concerned that the issue at the center of the debate will create political vulnerabilities for Republicans.
Advisers are worried that the GOP will take the blame for allowing healthcare subsidies to expire, raising costs for millions of Americans ahead of next year’s midterm elections, according to administration officials.
Inside the White House, aides are discussing proposals to extend the enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act health-insurance plans, the officials said. Trump hasn’t yet decided whether he will endorse such a proposal, according to the officials. Republicans say they will only hold negotiations with Democrats on the matter after the government is reopened.
The closed-door hand-wringing stands in contrast to the public bravado conveyed by the president and his top advisers. Trump has posted artificial-intelligence videos of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) wearing a sombrero. And he has said the shutdown gives his administration an “unprecedented opportunity” to make far-reaching cuts and target programs favored by Democrats. The administration is preparing to oust thousands of federal workers.
The emerging dynamic puts Trump in a bind: He is determined to crush the most concerted Democratic resistance since he regained the White House. But he also has to find a solution to a looming problem that threatens his agenda and the GOP majority in the midterms. The president’s love for a fight is pitted against his zeal for dealmaking.
Trump’s advisers have privately acknowledged this week that although their boss has long called for repealing Obamacare, allowing the subsidies to expire could cause political headaches for a president who was elected in large part because of voter frustrations with inflation and the rising cost of living. Voters have expressed deepening frustration with Trump’s handling of the economy in recent polls amid a weak jobs market and stubborn inflation.
Ending the subsidies would result in higher premiums for more than 20 million people. Of the 75 congressional districts where at least 10% of the population is enrolled in the Affordable Care Act, 62 are in red-leaning Florida, Georgia and Texas, according to Kaiser Family Foundation, a healthcare-policy think tank. More than half of the 62 districts in those states are represented by Republicans.
Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio in July issued a memo outlining the risks for Republicans for not acting. “By broad bipartisan margins, voters want to see the tax credits extended rather than expire at the end of the year, whether in the context of premiums doubling or 5 million families losing their health insurance,” the memo said. “This includes solid majorities of Trump voters and swing voters.” The findings have been presented by White House aides to Senate Republicans, an official said.
The White House is particularly sensitive to the House races next fall. Republicans have a razor-thin majority in that chamber, and a Democratic takeover would complicate Trump’s policy ambitions for his final two years and likely lead to investigations into the president and his allies.
Some moderates are floating possible solutions, including proposing a yearlong extension of the subsidies, until after the midterms. The Medicaid cuts in the Republicans’ sprawling tax-and-spending bill passed over the summer don’t fully take effect until 2026.
“Even though none of us were supportive of the ACA to begin with, we can’t walk away from the people that have had no place else to go to get their healthcare coverage,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R., S.D.).
Democrats’ Strategy
If Democrats can hang on for the rest of the month, healthcare premium notices will be sent.
Consumers can start shopping for next year’s coverage on November 1. Some ACA participants have already started receiving notifications about next year’s premium increases.
About 24 million people are enrolled in ACA (Obamacare) coverage. Roughly that many people will not be happy with sticker shock.
TACO Coming Up
Expect a TACO from Trump by the end of the month. The Senate will easily go along.
Then expect Trump to browbeat any House Republicans who refuse to go along.
House Speaker Mike Johnson will sing the praises of Trump’s great deal, no matter what it is.
And Trump will brag about extending Obamacare.
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There is always the possibility Trump could grow a brain and offer to end the shutdown by signing a Universal Healthcare law, which would actually do something to bring back manufacturing and cut the deficit. But no, the best solution is off the table.
Let’s not forget that Obolacare was originally proposed by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, and people like Bob Dole drew heavily from it for their own policies. Romney even implemented it in MA when he was Governor.
Next Tuesday at 12:37 EST.
Would you buy me a hamburger today?
It is always informative to read the opinions of others.
But here is a Fact (Data posted daily by the Treasury Dept)
In Fiscal Year 2025 our Deficit was $2,173.
In Fiscal Year 2024 our Deficit was $ 2,297. Biden’s last year.
How did that happen and nobody noticed?
DaveFrom Denver:
But here is a Fact (Data posted daily by the Treasury Dept)
In Fiscal Year 2025 our Deficit was $2,173.
In Fiscal Year 2024 our Deficit was $ 2,297. Biden’s last year.
How did that happen and nobody noticed?
Mish:
Are we bragging about a $2.17 trillion deficit?
Down a mere 124K.
And did you factor in Trump’s proposed golden dome? What about the compromise coming up to extend Obamacare?
Farmer bailouts?
Pending aid to Ukraine?
And don’t forget the $20B bailout of your hero, Milei! The guy’s libertarian policies were so successful that he needed a big bailout.
So, right-wing libertarian disasters get bailed out, while left-wing governments are embargoed, sanctioned and blockaded just so these guys can then scream, “See? sOcIaLiSm bad!!!!”
“Trump will brag about extending Obamacare.”
A triumph of pork over principle.
rebranded as Trumpcare
It depends upon how quickly their donor extortion efforts pay off adequately in their view combined with the same for the other side of the UniParty.
How about a nice tax increase to pay for the subsidies? I’d add the bailout of the farmers and the bailout of Argentina to the bill. A onetime assessment of 500 billion is a good starter for payments that are guaranteed to grow. My guess is this proposal won’t be popular but putting the subsidies on the credit card is a good idea. Bankruptcy anyone?
The Obamacare extensions cost a little less than $35 billion per year. Close to what the tariffs are bringing in. Corporate profits will be close to $16 trillion this year. So a corporate tax increase from 21% to 21.2% would also cover it. But the issue isn’t money. That’s easy. The issue is Obamacare allows average Americans to get medical insurance WITHOUT having to work a full-time job for it. That takes potential labor out of the market driving up labor rates unnecessarily. And it isn’t the ignorant poor who are advantaged at the expense of job creators. It is experienced senior people who can retire early, creative people who go and start competitive businesses, and single mothers who can now go part-time to stay at home with their kids. It is destroying this once great nation, and must be ended to Make America Great Again!
“The issue is Obamacare allows average Americans to get medical insurance WITHOUT having to work a full-time job for it. That takes potential labor out of the market”
…
Do unemployed people want extortionately priced insurance that denies coverage? Do they quit their jobs for this perk?
Yeah. I’ve talked to several people with Obama policies; they complained about the premium cost and lack of coverage. One guy told me he pays 24k/year for a policy that has weak coverage with tons of deductibles and coverage lapses. The left can crow that they are insured but the insurance is substandard.
From talking to several people you’ve determined nothing.
I’m sure there is something better in this great country for those people. I’m sure they looked for their good deal. We know conservatives really care about people’s need for healthcare and have the best plan that no one has yet to notice. Keep up the good work conservatives. Trumpcare is just two weeks away.
The question was very specific. And your reply was more like, “Yes, because orange alligators like to bask when the Sun is heading towards the west.”
Good reality reply to a political POV post.
Your answer is correct. This is not ‘good’ insurance; but at least it’s some insurance coverage. Very few people are quitting jobs (much less have the cash to pay for these policies without jobs) to get this insurance.
So many people can’t do basic online research. Most of the past uptake in ACA policies was by people who didn’t previously have health insurance coverage
The OBM estimates the extensions cost at least 350 billion through 2035. We all know it will be greater than that. Argentinas bailout starts at 30 billion and the farmer bailout is at least 15 billion. Maybe the public should be assessed for the politician’s generosity?
OMB sorry
Riiiiiiiight. Because once people get Obolacare, their need to pay rent or utilities or energy costs or food costs or… all of those things simply disappear – just like that, eh?!
What a dolt!
Bankruptcy? What are creditors going to repossess? A bunch of Obamacare payees? That enlarges the creditor class to a street-level predator class.
Obamacare subsidies need to end. Tax payers shouldn’t be paying for other people’s health insurance.
There are no countries on the face of the earth where taxpayers never pay for other people’s healthcare. Maybe you’re dead wrong, or maybe even worse. I guess when my Dad plopped down next to a dying Marine on Iwo Jima he should have first demanded, “Leatherneck, do you have sufficient funds to pay for a tourniquet and some morphine?”
Non sequitur
And Medicare, Medicaid, TriCare and the VA!
It’s Obamacare that needs to end, as there are all sorts of avenues for healthcare now. You have walk in clinics that do x-rays and such, you have multiple new types of insurance providers available. You have emergency rooms (for emergencies). Etc. We do not require a Government Program to do so, and quite frankly we should not have Government anywhere near out healthcare, as it’s too important.
I can tell you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.
You would be very wrong. A very ill wife that has has had multiple Surgeries, and multiple insurers along the way, and a very sick Niece that will need care for the rest of her life. Not to mention I worked at a assisted living in the end of life care portion, and took care of many medical issues and needs of elders.
Although I have seen a lot, I I have only a small window into the needs of many others as well. I have dealt with health insurance for decades now, and will for hopefully a couple more decades!
Don’t be so quick to judge…
I agree with Stu here.
Free speeching here…IDIOT!!!
Where the hell is our government “Of the People, By the People, For the People?
It’s now government of the pigs by the pigs and for the pigs.
republic by plato will sum up your question. democracy works always. assholes elect themselves. amerikans are assholes. trump or biden and schumer and johnson and mitch and hakeem are true blue amerikan representatives of their asshole voters.
Where the hell is our government:
“Of the People” The President & His Administration is looking out for 100% of American Citizens. When issues come up, that are not clear, you must side with the Majority of the People, as a result of there standing. The system worked as intended.
“By the People” The People have in office, who they overwhelmingly elected into office. The system worked as intended.
“For the People” On the whole whatever is selected by the people, clearly represents the Majority of The People, so therefore for the People.
This is what America was founded on, so no surprise. Sorry it didn’t work out the way some in the Minority may have desired, but this is what makes America Great!!! The Majority must be satisfied, or you have chaos. However, if you have chaos By The Minority, then they are Not Citizens Playing By The Rules, but rather going against the Constitution and there duty to protect the Majority always and/or whenever possible.
Stu, this country was established as a republic with intentionality to ensure that there would not be a tyranny of the majority. There are separations of powers to ensure that 51pct of the country does not have total control. And there is a Bill of Rights that guarantees the rights of citizens even if they are part of the minority.
Of the people…not so much any longer, more like “of the corporations”. Elected by the majority representatives are free to vote as they wish not always with the majority
by the people… Trump “won” by less than 2%, more people did not vote than voted for either candidate. Overwhelming is a biased and stupid descriptive
for the people…see of the people
Democrats Are Screwing Up the Shutdown
https://jacobin.com/2025/10/democrats-shutdown-health-care-bernie-aoc
And this is what I don’t understand about Democrats. They always expend political capital to prop up and bail out Republican states. I say, let these people in the red states get what they voted for.
Perhaps caring about people in general is more important?
Screw the polarity of red vs blue. We are all in this together.
Lovely sentiment. Half the country (Trump voters) voted to screw the other half and Trump is delivering on that promise. No sympathy for his supporters who are getting blowback for their bad choices.
they enjoy taking the beatings for their cult leader. in the words of ed seykota, losers win by losing. that’s the MAGA voters i know in my family and friends…….
Did you miss out on a government pension?
I don’t feel anything for his supporters except disgust, but I still care about people stuck in those states who don’t support him.
That’s what we used to think and feel. Republicans have always counted on agreeable democrats. Not sure how much longer that will last.
Yup biden opened all those chip plants and such in republican areas. Still got no credit. .
The republican voters cant seem to grasp their politicians do not really represent them. They represent business not people. Well not poor or middle class or mildly wealthy. They keep them on the hook by having an enemy (ie dems) at this time and culture war stuff. Ive started to look at who’s pulling the strings. Its amazing how much money people contribute. When i ask you the other day if you thought the farmers would vote dem. You pretty much summed it up.
Well put…
Who cares about actual jobs when you can get riled up on hating transgender people?
Agreed!
Government is there to Protect Us, by creating laws and Rules that must/should be followed. So do that and well, and leave the Dr. Work to the Professionals, who must abide by the rules.
That’s not true for red majority states. They believe the blue have no rights and should be removed or reeducated.
It’s true. Democrats seem to care about people that they don’t know or relate to in any way. Republicans…not so much of at all. I don’t know how long democrats will continue to care about others. It may need to stop.
Sorry -1. Truth hurts.
Bernie 2016 – “…the millionaires and the billionaires…”
Bernie 2020 – “…the billionaires…”
These are people who see caring about others as a weakness.
Charlie Kirk put it this way:
This is what a role model sounds like, according to Republicans.
Yep. They are not well these folks.
Which counties are you talking about in those states? If you send the links I’ll check into it from there.
I’m gonna say “2”.
That is 2 long..
The past is prologue. In 2019, the last shutdown was ended when the air traffic controllers (high income jobs) were about to not be paid for the 3rd time (shutdown was then 35 days long, and Feds get paid every two weeks), so they started slowing down all planes, including the ones leaving from New York to LA for the high income peoples’ partying. Once they started to arrive late for their elite parties, the shutdown ended. True story.
Meh, The elite have their own planes…
Plebs fly commercial.
You missed. They share the same air traftic controllers.
Perhaps, but perhaps not. There are many small “Private Commuter” airports where their hangers allow both privacy and anonymity. I think my statement was both mocking and contains a strong element of truth.
Those crafty plutocrats – flying their Cessna 152s out of 2000 ft grass strips & flying into Aspen VFR in December. That makes them smart!
These new subsidies were a temporary measure to deal with the authoritarian retard policy that the entire economy should be shut down due to covid, a position backed by minions like Tony Fauci in the Trump administration.
There is no such thing as a temporary government program anymore than there is such a thing as a fiscally responsible Republican, Thomas Massie excepted. As we can see drunken binge spending Taco Trump is definitely not an exception.
If the subsidies are so wrong, then why doesn’t the Republican majority own their holiness and renounce the subsidies completely, pass a specific law denouncing their legality, and send out such informational flyers to get re-elected for doing their job?
In other words, own what they are saying needs to be done for the betterment of America?
You nailed it Hubris
They can be shy about their violence. Of course, trump has let their freak flag fly. They are so happy to be comfortably violent.
No one fucking knew how bad the Covid virus would be. Conservatives out of the gate were so sure it was no big deal. More than one million Americans died during the initial outbreak. For conservatives it’s just collateral damage. Thing is they lied to their supporters about the vaccine. So their unvaccinated supporters died.
Truth hurts -1. I’m like that. I feel for you.
Feel for you too -2! Damn you trump supporters are delicate.
Wrong. The vax got injured.
LOL! Knucklehead! My mother and I are fully vaxed. She’s 90. She has seen every contagious terrible illness this country has known. My grandmother took in and cared for a polio victim so the child’s parents could work. The vaccines have saved so many lives. You are a FOOL!
999 hermann Cain award on reddit was the greatest internet thread of all time.
Thank goodness the record shows nobody got the flu or a bad cold during that time. Only time in history.
Not sure what you’re saying here buddy. But if staying unvaccinated makes you happy…go for it!
Ha ha minus 10! Keep denying reality. It suits you. Wish you the best unvaccinated health you can have.
– Trump aides are discussing proposals to extend Obamacare subsidies.
> I doubt this is true (how would they know), but if so, They Are Absolute Fools!!
– The WSJ reports:
> Well of course they do, and a whole lot of other things that are “Entirely False”
– President Trump has projected unwavering confidence that he is winning the messaging war over the government shutdown. But behind the scenes, blah, blah, blah…
> So the WSJ makes up more Stories. Like they are Behind the Scenes, please… They know less than most here do, because they mostly live in a Bubble.
– Advisers are worried that the GOP will take the blame for allowing healthcare subsidies to expire.
> GOP Voted 100% to “Remain Open” >> Dems Voted 100% to “Remain Closed” On a Package The Dems Have Voted 100% for 13 Times during Biden/Harris Administration. No matter how the WSJ or Anyone for that matter, it’s 100% On The Democrats!!! There is no Logical Way to look at it differently.
– Inside the White House, aides are discussing proposals to extend the enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act health-insurance plans, the officials said. Republicans say they will only hold negotiations with Democrats on the matter after the government is reopened.
> ONLY AFTER They are back OPEN or NO!
– And he has said the shutdown gives his administration an “unprecedented opportunity” to make far-reaching cuts and target programs favored by Democrats. The administration is preparing to oust thousands of federal workers.
> Those Workers are all walks of life, and all different Political persuasions. Nothing to do with Politics except those making believe it is. These Jobs are No Longer Required and need to be removed as a result. This happens to people all the time. Have they never been laid off in their life? Well they are Government Workers, so there’s that…
– The emerging dynamic puts Trump in a bind: He is determined to crush the most concerted Democratic resistance since he regained the White House.
> I don’t see it that way at all. I see Trump at “Full Speed Ahead” one way or another He will Help All Americans. This is 100% Democrats, and there is literally NO WAY to look at it otherwise. 100% Open GOP Vs. 100% Close Dems.
– Trump’s advisers have privately acknowledged this week that although their boss has long called for repealing Obamacare, allowing the subsidies to expire could cause political headaches for a president who was elected in large part because of voter frustrations with inflation and the rising cost of living.
> Yeah, OK. Sure they have… Most of this is from the past Administration, so Again 100% Democrats. The Dems OWN THIS!
– Ending the subsidies would result in higher premiums for more than 20 million people. Of the 75 congressional districts where at least 10% of the population is enrolled in the Affordable Care Act, 62 are in red-leaning Florida, Georgia and Texas, according to Kaiser Family Foundation, a healthcare-policy think tank. More than half of the 62 districts in those states are represented by Republicans.
> If Trumps Administration can make this work Temporarily to get things moving, and without interruption, then they naturally will, Or do it with an approved plan first, if necessary, all written up and ready to go day 1.
– Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio in July issued a memo outlining the risks for Republicans for not acting. “By broad bipartisan margins, voters want to see the tax credits extended rather than expire at the end of the year, whether in the context of premiums doubling or 5 million families losing their health insurance,” the memo said. “This includes solid majorities of Trump voters and swing voters.” The findings have been presented by White House aides to Senate Republicans, an official said.
> Again, if a temporary fix is required They will do so, and then reverse it afterwards with a Plan they have already thought out, laid out, ready to go, and sure to work!
– The White House is particularly sensitive to the House races next fall. Republicans have a razor-thin majority in that chamber, and a Democratic takeover would complicate Trump’s policy ambitions for his final two years and likely lead to investigations into the president and his allies.
> Republicans are Crushing Dems in the Polls that matter. The Dems couldn’t beat themselves right now, they are in such disarray.
– Some moderates are floating possible solutions, including proposing a yearlong extension of the subsidies, until after the midterms. The Medicaid cuts in the Republicans’ sprawling tax-and-spending bill passed over the summer don’t fully take effect until 2026.
> Trump & His Administration WILL DECIDE thanks…
– “Even though none of us were supportive of the ACA to begin with, we can’t walk away from the people that have had no place else to go to get their healthcare coverage,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R., S.D.).
> See above, if necessary…
Democrats’ Strategy:
– If Democrats can hang on for the rest of the month, healthcare premium notices will be sent.
> Doubt it, but anything is possible.
– Consumers can start shopping for next year’s coverage on November 1. Some ACA participants have already started receiving notifications about next year’s premium increases.
> Wow, what a surprise, Healthcare Cost Are Rising! Did you hear that? Hey, does this happen All The Time? YES! Just happens to be a political hot button right now for the Dems to use. They love playing with fire with others Benefits, but hardly If Ever There Own!
– About 24 million people are enrolled in ACA (Obamacare) coverage. Roughly that many people will not be happy with sticker shock.
> You think Obamacare People are stupid I see. They are too dumb to see that health insurance goes up every year, and has for decades for everyone I know. It’s rare to go past 12-15 months without an increase somewhere on something. Mine increases every year, and has since I recall back as far back as possible. I did have to change many times along the way for various typical reasons… mine has never went down.
Couldn’t read all of it, Stu, but I have confidence that you can cut through all the anti-Trump FUD and make strong arguments that counter the WSJ fake news machine.
Just tighten it up a bit in terms of length ; )
Advice taken & Thank You for your Honesty!
Do you really not know that the WSJ is owned by the Newscorp? The same company that owns Fox…
WSJ is Fox News!
Gullibility is not an asset.
>>>
Rupert Murdoch and His Family are the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world. So what does this mean, other than He likes to own profitable News Outlets. They don’t all spew he same rhetoric now do they…
i loved reading WSJ since i was a hs kid in 70s. murdoch purchase ruined it. junk paper now.
Accidentally posted twice. My-B.
TACO Tuesday has a nice ring to it…
but AI said there was no particular day reversals were made…
TACO Tuesday was “a rumor”…
then provided a recent list…
the most recent being 9/30…
Tuesday.
Interesting stuff. Concur with your assessment, Mish. Project 2025 is a real entity out of the heritage foundation. My guess is that the more intelligent P2025 admin influencers will want a shot at the 2025 midterms. With the recession indicators, the current voter blame split et. al., and without a timely compromise, there is no possibility of a win .. With the ongoing 25 Sept 3/5 of 6-8/6-8 day global equity blow-off peak valuation target 16 Oct(European STOXX 600 hit a 50 year high – 2 October), the administration may be falsely reassured that nothing is needed for immediate resolution. My guess is then a resolution within days/weeks after 16 October 2025. (Could be earlier with the smarter P2025 influencers.)
Wait a minute; I’m confused.
You told all of us here on MishTalk on Sept 13 that there would be a 50% drop in equities by Oct. 3-6. They closed today (Oct 3) at record highs. Are you now saying there is going to be a 55% drop on Monday to fulfill your prediction?
Or do you make these predictions all the time to make some kind of POV point? And then never reconcile your past misses?
Now is the time for all democrats to join a movement for Medicare for All. They should organize huge demonstrations in every major and as many minor cities in the US as possible.
But my guess is they will set on their hands and gently cry fake tears as the insurance industry bribes as many dems as repubs.
Without major restructuring our system of corporate political bribery, Americans may as well give up and find an exit. I doubt many countries want us moving there and fucking up their country.
The $400 cash MRI
vs
The $4000 insurance MRI
Almost $38T in debt, and the swamp still wants ALL the guns and ALL the butter….hard tradeoffs are coming….
And free money for the banksters.
You know what we need? More billionaires writing tax laws so they don’t have to participate in paying down the debt. Good deal!!
May be we need to discuss all the money the billionaires are stealing planet wide.
Though history is on your side, Mish, I hold out a hope that because of the gauntlet Trump had to come through to get where he is…that he doesn’t give a shit and will hold the line about not borrowing more than the 2 trillion in this CR. Yes, there is some humor in that line. Hold the line at $2,000,000,000,000 more borrowing.
lol!,,,
It’s funny how there’s no mention of the real issue, Dems wanting to undo provisions form the BBB that took away medical coverage for certain legal illegals.
That’s the real sticking point. Everyone knows that the Republicans are going to wheel & deal on the subsidies, but I will be surprised if they TACO on the REAL ISSUE.
Assuming the GOP holds the line of the legal illegals, then it’s not going to take until the end of the month. At some point, Schumer & Jefferies will cave, again, on the REAL ISSUE.
Right now, it’s just posturing to see how can cobble together the best sound bits to use in the run up to the midterms.
Yes, this is exactly what is going on. Two different recent polls have shown broad support for extending the tax credits (even a majority of MAGA followers support it), and honestly, the cost – $35 billion per year is not astronomic (compared to the cuts that were made as part of the OBBBA) and compared to the overall Federal budget (7,300 billion).
The immigrants coverage is a different matter altogether given the president’s dislike of immigrants and the fact that unlike the subsidies, which are a “new” topic, undoing the immigration provisions would be a direct rollback of something the Republicans just passed in Congress a few months ago. It would be a bad look for them to undo something they just passed.
Thanks for the sanity check!
I’m led to believe extension of ACA subsidies is a separate issue that can (hopefully) be negotiated independently of the Democrat shutdown.
Speaker Johnson suggested that the Dems reply to the Continuing Resolution demands a repeal of parts of the BBB that will seek to remove illegal immigrants and able-bodied folks from the medicade ranks. He refers us to page 57 section 2141:
“Subtitle E—Other Health Provisions SEC. 2141. REPEAL OF HEALTH SUBTITLE CHANGES. Subtitle B of title VII of the Act titled ‘‘An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14’’ (Public Law 119–21) is repealed and any law or regulation referred to in such subtitle shall be applied as if such subtitle and the amendments made by such sub title had not been enacted.”
FY26 Democratic Continuing Resolution Text
“the real issue”? LOL
How many of the 24 million Americans on ACA are “illegals”? (BTW nice try to couch this dubious ‘issue’ as “legal illegals” because there is a legal and real difference between asylum seekers and fence-jumpers)
Can you quote a specific number from Vance or Johnson or Trump (much less anyone in the know that’s not politically motivated) throwing out this BS? Didn’t Musk’s DOGE minions ferret out this ‘illegal’ contributions and throw them out?
If the number is not any significant portion of the 24 million people on ACA about to get huge premium increases, will you admit you’ve become another pawn of the Trump disinformation machine?
OMG! DUDE!!!!!! STOP WITH THE BS!
Everyone knows the GOP is going to cave to some extent regarding the 24 million. The GOP has been saying for two weeks that Congress should pass a clear CR & then start negotiating on the ACA subsidies.
How hard is that for you to understand?
BTW, one illegal, legal illegal or just someone here legally on an asylum claim is too many!
Giving any Tom, Dick or Harry who comes to the US through any means free healthcare is flat our wrong. Entitlements are exploding out the wazoo & anything that can legitimately be determined as waste or fraud needs to be axed el pronto.
And finally, you don’t get to sit there & joke about DOGE while acting like the GOP can’t go after any penny that’s going towards helping illegals or persons on these fake grants of asylum.
It’s like you’re a cheerleader for America to fail at every turn. Are you Communist?
Trump is a top down central planner. Your guy is a communist. You just don’t understand communism or you pretend you don’t.
Dude…trump conservatives are communists. You supporters of Trump are just clueless.
Sorry you don’t understand your man is a communist
Conservative Americans are the new communist party. Top down control. Crush all descent. Intimidate all areas of culture. Ban books and throw all dedication to the dear leader. If you don’t see it it’s because you refuse to see the truth. That is all. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
The far left has been crushing decent for decades now.
It’s our turn to govern. Elections have consequences.
And that means that Trump gets to go after his political foes that he feels like did illegal things trying to frame him.
From your liberal perspective, Trump is a Communist.
From mine, he’s not. So we can agree to disagree.
Lol! You are snorting too much cult cocaine.
“It’s our turn.”
Hahahaha!
What a dumb f*ck.
Sorry Ben… I don’t agree to disagree. You are clueless. Top down control. Crushing free speech and all descent. Asking for universities and law firms and news organizations to obey…dude you are so dumb. Sorry to say it. Because folks like you are destroying our country with your ignorance.
Wow, sorry I hit such a nerve with you, but I can’t let BS hubris sit in front of me without correction
The majority Republican Congress has been in charge since January. They could have worked to ‘fix’ this ACA subsidy issue during any of those 9 months (but they did not do their work). They have only talked about it for 2 weeks because the Democrats said then they weren’t going to go with the CR unless it was fixed.
But you’re falling for their BS, and you should understand that. Truly illegal immigrants are not eligible for ACA premiums/policies. Medicaid can cover the city/state expenses for undocumented people without insurance visiting emergency rooms. That amounts to 0.4% of total Medicaid (not ACA) funding and that is required by federal law that started with Regan: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/04/politics/health-care-immigrants-government-shutdown This is the second time I’ve posted facts to disprove your assertions
So one more time for the hard of hearing/learning. The “real issue” is not Democrats not signing onto the CR for illegal immigrants. It’s them wanting the ACA subsidies to continue for 24 million Americans.
If you don’t like that, stand up tall, proud and loud and tell every Republican you know to gut the ACA. That’s your right and your vote.
But don’t lie. Or be deceived by the political BS rhetoric being thrown at you. And certainly don’t put it out as fact because your hubris will be called out every time
“What A Show!”
If I were part of the Democratic leadership, I would have voted for the continuing resolution and let the Affordable Care Act subsidies expire. Once 11/1/25 comes , which corresponds to the start of the open enrollment period, the sticker shock would allow the Dems to pounce. They have the right policy priority but they are sub-optimizing the benefits by trying to fix this too early. Let people feel the sticker shock pain first and then use the mid terms to be the savior party. Mish has it right. Republicans will cave and they have good reasons to cave. So why are the Dems helping to save the Republicans now before anyone feels the pain of massive ACA healthcare cost increases? Right idea for Dems but crappy timing.
So you like the notion of using people as the pain point for political gain? Got it.
Love the true colors coming out–it’s just crappy timing if Americans get what the Democrats want them to get if they can’t also get political leverage for it. Shoish.
The cruelty is the point.
Yep. That’s how our political system works.
Which is why I don’t bother to vote.
Absolutely. When people vote for X, they should get X. It is called taking personal responsibility.
Im not saying I ardently support Obamacare. But I will say we all have shitty choices to make …. we should want to make the least shittiest choice ….
If you don’t like Obamacare and / or you vote for a guy or a party whose platform has always been to get rid of Obamacare for the last decade (after Obama modelling the plan after a republican) but can’t offer any improved alternative for a decade …… then you shouldn’t complain when Obamacare subsidies and protections dry up. (Im talking about averages, by the way. I know 49% of the country did not vote for Trump …. but this is the reality of averages. There were enough people in the middle who swung to Trump)
It is not Mommy’s (Democrats’) job to protect the children. But the consequences to one’s actions may provide the necessary learning feedback cycle (but of course, it still requires the necessary intelligence and ability to rise above the Dunning Kruger effect and understand cause, effect and correlation of what really caused inflation, housing shocks, wealth disparity, jobs going to China, immigrants taking our jobs, etc).
We all have a tendency to get up one fine day and act like we didn’t have anything to do with how our choices led to any of these in the last 2-5 decades …….. it is, of course, Biden and the democrats’ fault ….. of course, of course …..
But people should most certainly suffer the consequences of their actions.
TACO.
And beyond that, once this starts to hurt the Repubs, I expect the democrats to go for more. If the other side won’t be reasonable from the beginning and tries to be blowhards, then back down, I would expect the Democrats to try to take advantage.
Yes, Medicare for All who want it.
If that’s all it takes the Republicans should do it immediately.
Then make everyone using it wait 2-4 weeks for anything trivial and months to years for anything surgical unless they pay a ‘fee’.
In other words you go to the Doctor for a hip replacement and tell him you on Medicaid and he says sure, no problem. I’ll schedule you in Oct 2027 unless you want to pay cash to jump up in the line.
That way they can claim everyone gets it but in reality no one does.
That would significantly increase everyone’s taxes to pay for this. Everyone wants the benefits but they don’t want to pay for them.
My wife and I receive medicare benefits. These “free” benefits cost us $4272 annually deducted from SS payments plus another $5136 annually in supplemental coverage to cover the 20% medicare doesn’t cover plus another $576 in medicare deductibles plus $1152 in drug coverage plus
$1230 deductible for drugs. total healthcare cost on “free” medicare is $12,366 per year for two. That is of course without any dental, hearing or vision coverage. All this is before the suspected increases next year. So my guess is taxes wouldn’t go up that much. Increased taxes on corporations could cover everything. As an example in my state of TN corporations are taxed at 6.5% their estimated net profits last year (net after tax) was $69.97 Billion, sales tax in TN is 10% even on cars. Do you think this is fair? My guess is most MAGA’s have no clue, most Americans have no clue.
The government should be cutting more spending, and more quickly. They shouldn’t be rethinking cuts they’ve already made. The USA fiscal deficit spending is now over 7% annually.
As DOGE has shown, there isn’t that much discretionary spending, and cutting it often costs as much (or more) than is saved.
I doubt defense will be touched given that Trump wants boots on the ground in multiple war zones (leaving aside ICE and his domestic aspirations for military control).
And Republicans could come back to the Medicaid well, but it’s going to be awfully dry unless they want to both directly fund rural hospitals to keep them solvent and move on to social security and Medicaid.
Lowering taxes does not spur economic growth (probably the opposite if you factor in the federal government crowding out private investment with the massive public debt). If they are serious about eliminating the deficit and reducing the debt, taxes must be raised. And primarily on the wealthy, who do not spend as much of their income as the less wealthy.
Of course, this would be completely anathema to the GOP. Which is why, time after time, it is the Democratic presidents who are fiscally responsible and not Republican.
DOGE didn’t get a chance to take a real run @ Medicare, Medicaid, SS & military waster & fraud.
Basically, the first two (Medicare / Medicaid) is how you force the healthcare industry to take a pay cut. We don’t get anywhere near a balanced budget without healthcare taking pay cuts. It’s that simple. Go find the waste & fraud.
The same thing applies to SS the military. We don’t get anywhere near a balance budget until we get rid of the waste & fraud.
It’s my understanding that, despite being required to show 40 quarters of work by making ~$1,400 per quarter to qualify for SS, there are a fair number of people who are granted SS without having a disability or meeting the 40 Qtr requirement. In addition, SSDI needs to be tightened up & made more challenging to qualify.
What a surprise. It is “your understanding”. Is this all you ever do?
Let’s break this down into two parts—Social Security eligibility and SSDI qualification—to assess the accuracy of the statement:
🧾 1. Social Security Retirement Benefits and the 40-Quarter Rule
• ✅ True in general: To qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, most people need 40 quarters of coverage (i.e., 10 years of work), earning a minimum amount per quarter (about $1,640 in 2023, adjusted annually).
• ❌ Exception is rare: People cannot receive retirement benefits without meeting this requirement unless:• They qualify through a spouse’s or ex-spouse’s work record.
• They receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is need-based and not tied to work history.
• They are noncitizens who qualify under special agreements (e.g., totalization treaties with other countries).
So the idea that “a fair number of people” receive retirement benefits without meeting the 40-quarter rule is not accurate unless you’re including SSI or spousal benefits.
🧠 2. SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) Eligibility
• ✅ Work credits vary by age: SSDI does not require 40 quarters for everyone. For example:• A person disabled at age 27 may only need 12 credits (about 3 years of work).
• Most people over 31 need 20 credits in the last 10 years.
• ✅ Disability must meet strict criteria: SSDI requires medical evidence of a condition that prevents substantial work for at least 12 months or is terminal.
• ❌ Not easy to qualify: Approval rates are low—only about 35% of initial SSDI applications are approved. The process involves medical reviews, appeals, and sometimes hearings.
So the claim that SSDI “needs to be tightened up” is subjective. Many experts argue the system is already stringent, with long wait times and high denial rates.
P
🧠 Summary:
Claim Accuracy
40 quarters required for SS retirement ✅ Mostly true
Many get SS without meeting 40 quarters
❌ Misleading unless referring to SSI or spousal benefits
SSDI is too easy to qualify for
❌ Not supported by data—approval is difficult and slow
… or taking back the tax cuts for the ultra wealthy.
Get billionaires to pay their share. Fuck their writing tax laws for their benefit. Stunning how many of you trump supporters don’t get that it’s rich people who have all the money. Cracks me up you think poor people control our country.
If Trump TACOs on this then, I will persist in my opinion that Trump & the Republican party are no different than Democrats and they all seek the destruction of freedom & prosperity.
Oh how I would like to change my opinion on Trump & the Republican party! But they keep disappointing.
I think as trump is closer to the end of his term the more he will double down on things. To look at the bigger picture of how things work aca/ medicare etc support not only the people but seems to be keeping some hospitals afloat.
Hospitals cant refuse to treat someone whos hurt. But those expenses get passed to others who can pay. Either cash or insurance. Raising the cost. So in theory i think it would be better to have more people insured to keep the cost lower so more people can and are paying ins Than to have cost spiral out of control worse than they are. Then end up having to bail out the hospitals anyway.
Same with auto ins. The more people driving around without ins. Raises the cost for everyone else.
On another note.
Will be hard for dems to win at mid terms. Especially if california gerrymander law fails to pass. That is 8 or districts trump will win from texas and a few other states.. He will claim fraud and drag it out in the courts/ send in the military or start a war and pull a bibi.
The hospitals in my area seem to be pretty wealthy and expanding. Some indication they are getting taxpayer money for treating illegals.
Check your diaper I can smell you from here.
Re “be better to have more people insured”
That depends greatly on who is paying for the insurance.
Taxpayer-funded insurance creates the wrong incentives.
Are you against taxpayer-funded Medicare?
Be careful with your response here because the old-timers on this site want to root out all those illegal and political pandering programs, but Medicare and SS are sacrosanct.
“There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party and it has two wings: Republican and Democrat” – Gore Vidal
(quote is from the 1970s … some things don’t change much)
The Property Party funds the media (pays for the advertising) and thus controls what gets presented.
The ad-funded media enable the Property Party to play off various factions against one another.
The differences hyped by the media are mostly just window dressing, inflaming passions on both ends of the political spectrum. None of the “hype issues” seriously touch the core interests of the Property Party.
The system ensures that the Property Party remains in control regardless of which window-dressing faction sits in the White House.
Trump ran from outside the Property Party, hence the raging ad-funded media hostility, but is rapidly being co-opted, as one promise after another is abandoned.
The D’s and R’s don’t actually care much about insurance premium subsidies. What they care about are the donations they receive, siphoned from the ample corporate profits that those Federal subsidies support.
P.S. Due to overgrowth of monopolies and cartel-type markets, the Property Party is more authoritarian than in the past, enhancing evil tendencies in both political wings.
“The only difference between Republicans and Democrats is that the Democrats allow the poor to be corrupt too.”
-Oscar Levant-
Well Oscar…rich people’s corruption causes so much more pain than poor people’s corruption. Planet wide.
Wow…are you a billionaire? Sorry I hurt your billionaire feelings.
There is a lot with which to agree in your post. However, the Uniparty is not particularly respectful of taxpayer’s PROPERTY. Perhaps the “Organized Crime Party” would be better, with the Democrats and Republicans being its senior and junior marketing departments.
Yes. The phrase “Property Party” referred to the Uniparty or the 0.1%, the establishment in control of the vast majority of the wealth. Not to taxpayers’ property.
I might call it the Legalized Crime Party, since they’ve legalized a lot of what they do, things which used to be illegal, including stock buybacks, rescinding Glass-Steagall, eviscerating antitrust law so corporate monopolies that don’t get broken up, legalizing usury, perverting “stable prices” into “2% inflation”, and so on.
Two other quotes come to mind:
(1) When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” – Frederic Bastiat, “The Law”, 1850 (see http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html )
(2) “They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can’t get, and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time it is made good by looting ‘A’ to satisfy ‘B’. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advanced auction on stolen goods.” – H.L. Mencken, “Sham Battle”, Baltimore Evening Sun, 1936.
“Trump ran from outside the Property Party, hence the raging ad-funded media hostility, but is rapidly being co-opted, as one promise after another is abandoned.”
BS Trump gave corporations huge tax cuts. Trump is insane and the mainstream media rarely mentions anything about his mental health. You only hear about it in social media.
Yes, your last paragraph – Denninger has been writing about that forever. Monopoly / Antitrust laws have been on the books since the original Standard Oil break-up, but never used against the “healthcare heroes”.
Nor Google, Microsoft, Apple …
It was a judge, Robert Bork who eviscerated the law with a theory that conflated the illusion of consumer choice with genuine competition.
Since then it hasn’t been enforced. He almost got rewarded with a spot in the Supreme Court in 1987.
Spineless Republicons always cave. It’s 120 percent predictable.
The problem for decades is that every congressman caves eventually…leading to unbridled deficit spending…whether Republican or Democrat.
Yeah sure. They have the executive the legislative and the Supreme Court. But yeah… that are so powerless and cave all the time.
What’s the under? Give me the under. Need to call my booky in Brooklyn, Vinnie, see what the spread is.