House Votes for ACA Subsidies Amidst CBO Alarm, 'Flexibility' From Trump
Seventeen House Republicans joined Democrats to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies, a move Axios hails as a 'rare rebuke' of GOP leadership. The Congressional Budget Office confirms this extension, costing $80.6 billion over a decade, would also grant four million more people health coverage. This 'bipartisan' effort to prevent millions from losing care comes amidst an election year 'dominated
by affordability concerns.' Meanwhile, President Trump, so 'flexible' on the Hyde Amendment, offers little guidance on actual healthcare, leaving the House to haggle over whether people should just lose their insurance to save imaginary money. One might wonder why it takes 'dramatic' bipartisan efforts simply to prevent health insurance rates from 'more than doubling' for average Americans.
Contrast this fierce fiscal conservatism with the routine, un-dramatic passage of billions in foreign aid, often with far less scrutiny or CBO hand-wringing. According to OpenSecrets, many of these same 'fiscally conservative' representatives, like Michael McCaul (R-TX) who received $33,000 from pro-Israel groups in 2022, also routinely vote for substantial military aid packages to countries like
Israel without similar angst over the deficit. Funny how 'wasteful spending' is defined when it comes to the domestic public versus foreign military expenditures.