Republicans push to renew Obamacare subsidies while rejecting Democrats' shutdown tie-in
The letter is led by GOP Reps Jeff Van Drew and Jen Kiggans
By Elizabeth Elkind Fox News
Published October 21, 2025 12:00pm EDT
FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is calling on Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to deal with expiring Obamacare subsidies immediately after the government shutdown ends.
Thirteen House GOP lawmakers, led by Reps. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., and Jen Kiggans, R-Va., are sending a letter to Johnson on Tuesday thanking him for his leadership during the shutdown but maintaining that Obamacare must also be dealt with before the end of the year.
Obamacare, formally called the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has emerged as one of the main flash points in the ongoing fiscal standoff between Republicans and Democrats.
"Every day the shutdown continues to hurt the very people we were elected to serve, including the men and women of our Armed Forces, the federal law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe, the agents who defend our nation’s borders, and the public servants who provide essential services to veterans, seniors and families," the Republicans wrote.
"We also firmly believe that the government funding debate is not the time or place to address healthcare issues. Using the shutdown as leverage to force that debate only prolongs the harm and distracts from the immediate task of reopening the government. Once the government is reopened, however, we should immediately turn our focus to the growing crisis of healthcare affordability and the looming expiration of the enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-push-renew-obamacare-subsidies-while-rejecting-democrats-shutdown-tie-in
