What’s Health Care Got to Do With It?

What’s Health Care Got to Do With It?

by John Hinderaker in Democrats, Federal Budget, Health Care

Democrats are trying to justify their government shutdown by claiming that they aim to restore “cuts” in health care spending. There have been cuts, of course, with regard to illegal aliens and those who persistently refuse to seek employment or go to school. But that isn’t all the Democrats claim, at least, to be talking about. My colleague Matt Dean explains what is going on:

The healthcare “cuts” Democrats are using as an excuse to shut down the government are actually the phase-out of temporary pandemic-era Obamacare credits. Contrary to their current talking points, the phase-out of these credits was included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which passed without a single Republican vote. This legislation, which significantly increased federal spending on temporary pandemic-related healthcare programs, extended subsidies for insurance policies purchased through the Obamacare exchanges only through 2025.

The Biden administration’s emergency pandemic subsidies should be allowed to expire as intended. This would enable individual and small group plans to regain fiscal stability by returning to premium-supported plans with verified, qualified enrollees. Since the pandemic, the growth of these plans has relied heavily on improper taxpayer subsidies and “phantom policies.”

When the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022, every Democrat in Congress voted for these subsidies to expire in 2025. It is surprising, then, that they are now shutting down the government to protest the very law they supported.

Much more at the link.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/10/whats-health-care-got-to-do-with-it.php