Editors at National Review Online offer advice to congressional Republicans about one of Americans’ top issues.
As Congress enters its final scheduled week of business of the year, it has failed to pass legislation on health care. Last Thursday, the Senate rejected a Democratic bill to expand Obamacare as well as a Republican alternative that would have given money directly to individuals to put in health savings accounts.
Currently, Democrats believe they have the upper hand in the health care fight. If Congress does not act, generous Obamacare subsidies that were passed under Joe Biden to mask the true cost of the government-designed health insurance scheme will expire. Thus, many Americans who rely on Obamacare will have to absorb more of the cost of their plans. Democrats believe that if they keep pushing, Republicans will be spooked enough about being blamed for the higher cost during a midterm election year to agree to an extension of the subsidies.
While Republicans may talk themselves into a one-year extension with the hope that it would take the issue off the table for Democrats, they would be making a huge mistake. If Republicans agree to extend the subsidies now, they will never be allowed to expire, because the logic will never change. A one-year extension that would have the subsidies expire in 2026 would still mean Democrats could make the midterms a referendum on whether Republicans will extend them at the end of the year. A two-year extension would mean they would expire at the start of a presidential election cycle. So practically speaking, renewing them this year would be the same as accepting that the extra subsidies will be a permanent fixture of our system, which will impose $350 billion of costs on taxpayers over the next decade. That is tantamount to a major expansion of Obamacare. Additionally, some Republicans are even making the morally abominable offer to extend the subsidies without explicit protections against taxpayer money going to fund abortions.
