50m in the past
Schumer rails towards GOP for opposing ACA tax credit score extension
Schumer criticized Senate Republicans after the invoice to increase ACA tax credit fell quick.
“Sadly our Republican colleagues refused to do what they need to have completed,” Schumer stated at a information convention following the vote. “Republicans simply blocked the Democrats’ invoice for a clear, easy extension of the ACA tax credit, the final likelihood that they had to make sure peoples’ premiums don’t skyrocket within the coming months.”
Schumer stated Democrats “tried all yr to cease this well being care disaster,” and that they put laws on the ground repeatedly to increase the tax credit, however Republicans blocked it.
“We tried time and again,” Schumer stated. “They saved saying no. And naturally, Republicans had each alternative to barter, to hitch us, to supply a severe plan to forestall premiums from rising after Jan. 1. As a substitute, at present Republicans voted down the one plan that might have stopped the premium spikes, whereas having no plan of their very own.”
The New York Democrat referred to as the way in which Republicans voted “shameful.”
“Disgrace on them,” he added.
56m in the past
What comes subsequent within the Senate after the failed well being care votes
Lawmakers who had sought a bipartisan path ahead in current weeks have stated the failed votes might be key to unlocking a deal that might lengthen the subsidies with reforms geared toward addressing fraud. 4 Republican senators joined Democrats in voting to increase the subsidies on Thursday, hinting that an settlement could be potential.
“After we fail, I prefer to assume we succeed,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, informed CBS Information on Wednesday. Murkowski voted to increase the tax credit, together with GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Some Republicans are open to an extension of the improved tax credit on a short lived foundation, acknowledging the cliff that round 22 million People face with their expiration. However a compromise would doubtless have to contain reforms to this system to handle revenue caps and fraud, together with a gradual phasing out of the credit.
Republicans have put ahead various concepts to handle well being care prices, together with shorter-term extensions that impose new limits.
GOP Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas, who launched his personal plan this week to increase the credit by one yr earlier than redirecting funds into HSA-style accounts in 2027, expressed optimism a few potential extension forward of Thursday’s votes.
“I nonetheless assume we’re gaining momentum day by day, and I will maintain shifting ahead till somebody tells me to cease,” Marshall informed reporters.
Learn extra right here.
1:04 PM
Senate Democratic invoice to increase ACA tax credit fails to advance in 51-48 vote
The Democrat-led invoice that might lengthen enhanced Inexpensive Care Act tax credit for 3 years didn’t advance in a 51 to 48 vote. 4 Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Josh Hawley of Missouri — joined Democrats to help advancing the measure.
12:29 PM
Senate GOP well being care invoice fails to advance in 51-48 vote
The Republican well being care invoice crafted by Sens. Mike Crapo and Invoice Cassidy didn’t advance in a 51 to 48 vote. The tally fell largely alongside celebration traces, with GOP Sen. Rand Paul becoming a member of Democrats to vote towards advancing. Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana didn’t vote.
The procedural vote on the Democratic invoice is up subsequent. That can be anticipated to fail.
11:47 AM
Senate begins voting on GOP-led measure to handle well being care prices
The Senate is now voting on the Republicans’ proposal to handle well being care prices, led by Sens. Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana and Mike Crapo of Idaho.
The invoice is predicted to fall in need of the 60 votes wanted to advance, and comes forward of a long-anticipated vote on a Democratic invoice that might lengthen enhanced tax credit underneath the ACA. That vote can be anticipated to fall quick.
10:56 AM
Shaheen encourages senators to “sit down and are available to a compromise” after votes
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat who negotiated the cope with Republicans to finish the shutdown, indicated openness to continued work to handle well being care on a bipartisan foundation after at present’s votes.
Talking on the Senate ground following the bulk chief, Shaheen stated quite a lot of what Thune stated about “prices and about addressing fraud and about reducing the price of well being care is one thing that all of us should help.”
“I am prepared to come back to the desk and I feel we might be higher served if after we get by these votes, we sit down and are available to a compromise to handle the actual prices that persons are dealing with by way of well being care,” Shaheen stated. “And I am prepared to try this.”
Shaheen stated “there are members in each events who wish to discover a accountable path ahead.”
“I welcome the dialogue on the place we will discover widespread floor,” she stated. “However first we should maintain hundreds of thousands of People from dropping protection within the coming months. Extending these credit is the simplest and most direct option to shield households.”
10:35 AM
Thune says Democrats wish to “lengthen the established order” with no reforms to handle fraud
Senate Majority Chief John Thune speaks on the Senate ground on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.
Senate TV
Addressing the chamber, Thune reiterated Republicans’ argument towards a clear extension of the tax credit, saying the subsidies create “perverse incentives” that distort the insurance coverage market and encourage fraud.
“Democrats’ so-called plan is a three-year extension of the established order. No reforms, no revisions, no rethinking of the way in which that Obamacare works. Only a three-year extension of the established order,” Thune stated.
The Republican chief stated the Democratic plan wouldn’t “do something to handle the perverse incentives that push People out of the employer-sponsored well being care system and onto taxpayer-subsidized plans.”
“It isn’t going to do something to handle the perverse incentives that encourage insurance coverage corporations to complement themselves at taxpayer expense, and do nothing to handle the rampant waste, fraud and abuse in Obamacare. And most of all … it’ll do nothing to deliver down well being care prices. Nothing. Zero. Underneath Democrats’ plan, insurance coverage premiums will proceed to spiral,” he stated.
“Democrats do not have a well being care plan. They wish to lengthen the established order,” Thune added.
10:02 AM
Schumer says “ridiculous” GOP well being care invoice “cannot be taken significantly”
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer speaks on the Senate ground on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025.
Senate TV
Talking on the Senate ground, Minority Chief Chuck Schumer blasted Republicans’ well being care proposal, saying it might do little to handle rising prices for shoppers.
“Republicans have had so many variations amongst themselves that for some time it appeared like they weren’t going to place up a invoice in any respect. However after that grew to become too embarrassing an choice for Republicans, they used Scotch tape and glue to provide you with this ridiculous proposal that may’t be taken significantly, and does nothing — nothing — to keep away from the approaching well being care disaster,” he stated. “Even calling this Republican invoice a proposal is beneficiant, as a result of the Republican invoice is little greater than junk insurance coverage. It’s no actual plan in any respect.”
He stated that Republicans’ “huge concept is to basically hand individuals about $80 a month and need them good luck. And even to qualify for that examine — take heed to how dangerous that is — People could be compelled onto bare-bones bronze plans with sky-high deductibles.”
Schumer stated there’s “just one choice left to keep away from falling over this well being care cliff that Republicans have introduced us to: a clear, easy, direct extension of the present ACA credit. Each single Democrat is unified behind this proposal. I urge Republicans to drop their divisions and be a part of us.”
9:32 AM
Senate convenes forward of votes on well being care payments
The Senate gaveled into session at 9:30 a.m. forward of the procedural votes on the competing well being care payments later within the morning.
Majority Whip John Barrasso’s workplace stated the chamber will proceed to the votes at 11:30 a.m., beginning with the GOP invoice and adopted by the Democratic laws. Each votes will technically be on invoking cloture on motions to proceed to the laws and would require 60 votes to succeed.
Up to date 9:11 AM
Schumer says vote is a “second of reality” for Republicans
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer throughout a information convention on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 9, 2025.
Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg through Getty Photos
The long-anticipated vote on the ACA tax credit comes within the aftermath of the shutdown, when Republicans agreed to permit a vote on a Democratic invoice in change for reopening the federal government. The subsidies, which helped round 22 million low and middle-income People pay for well being care prices in 2025, are set to run out on the finish of the yr. Annual premiums for individuals who buy protection by ACA exchanges are anticipated to greater than double with out an extension, in keeping with KFF, stretching the already-strained budgets of hundreds of thousands.
Given the choice to place ahead a invoice of their selecting, Democrats selected to deliver up a clear three-year extension of the subsidies, a invoice often known as the Decrease Well being Care Prices Act. The transfer all however assured that the hassle would fail, since Republicans usually oppose an extension with out vital reforms to handle fraud and impose revenue caps. However Democrats are greater than prepared to power their GOP colleagues to vote towards extending the subsidies, viewing the approaching worth hikes as a salient political concern heading into subsequent yr’s midterm elections.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer referred to as Thursday’s vote on the tax credit extension a “second of reality for Republicans,” noting that the credit are set to run out in a matter of weeks.
“Congress ought to have solved this drawback months in the past,” Schumer stated at a information convention Wednesday. “Hakeem Jeffries and I requested the Republican management and Donald Trump over and time and again to sit down down and provide you with an answer to the disaster. They refused.”
Up to date 9:11 AM
What the Republican well being care invoice would do
Republicans have argued that the present construction of the tax credit, which entails sending the funds on to insurance coverage corporations, encourages fraud, since brokers and brokers are incentivized to enroll prospects who might not qualify. GOP lawmakers have pointed to a current report from the Authorities Accountability Workplace, during which investigators submitted functions for protection by exchanges utilizing fictitious private particulars, most of which had been nonetheless authorised.
Republicans have sought to overtake what they see as a damaged well being care system for years, however have didn’t coalesce behind a technique to implement vital adjustments.
After weeks of dialogue, Senate Republicans introduced this week that they’d put ahead a invoice of their very own for a side-by-side vote, hoping to alleviate the political strain that might include voting towards the Democratic proposal.
The Republican invoice, named the Well being Care Freedom for Sufferers Act and led by Sens. Mike Crapo and Invoice Cassidy, takes one other strategy to handle well being care prices. Reasonably than extending the improved tax credit, it might redirect funds to well being financial savings accounts for individuals who use bronze plans on state exchanges. Proponents argue that doing so would permit individuals to save lots of on premiums by switching to the lower-tier plans, whereas they’d additionally be capable to use the HSA funds towards their deductibles.
Senate Majority Chief John Thune introduced Tuesday that Republicans would put up the Crapo-Cassidy invoice, which he stated “displays the views of the Republicans right here in america Senate.”
Democrats have largely rejected the Republican plan because it would not deal with the tax credit, leaving hundreds of thousands with increased premiums within the quick time period.
Up to date 9:11 AM
Thune: Democratic invoice is a “partisan messaging train”
On the Senate ground on Wednesday, Senate Majority Chief John Thune referred to as the Democratic strategy a “partisan messaging train,” saying they “appear hard-over on doing this.”
“I haven’t got any expectation most likely that we’ll get Democrat votes for our proposal, however we’re providing one thing that truly does scale back well being care prices and premiums, places energy again within the palms of people, and that actually is what this should be about,” Thune stated.
As each side appeared conscious of the probability that the payments would fall quick in Thursday’s votes, Thune did not rule out an extension of the tax credit going ahead.
“There may be an curiosity in fixing it,” Thune informed reporters Wednesday. “Clearly we do not have quite a lot of time to do that, however I feel there are methods during which you possibly can, the place there is a will, and if there are two sides prepared to come back collectively.”