House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has vowed that Democrats will continue to push for the extension of expiring health insurance subsidies, despite the recent government shutdown ending without the inclusion of these provisions. In an interview with CBS News, Jeffries stated that “House Democrats are in this fight until we win this fight” and that the party remains “strongly opposed” to the bill that passed the Senate with some Democratic support. The bill, which funds the government until late January, did not include the extension of Biden-era enhanced health insurance tax credits that Democrats had been seeking.
The tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, have been a major point of contention in the shutdown negotiations. Democrats had pressed for their extension in exchange for their votes to reopen the government, but were ultimately unable to secure a deal. The expiration of the credits could lead to higher premiums for millions of people who buy insurance on Affordable Care Act exchanges.
Jeffries criticized the deal reached by Senate Democrats, which included a promise from Senate GOP leadership to hold a vote on the tax credits at some point, but no commitment from House GOP leaders. He argued that this deal did not go far enough and that Democrats would continue to push for a more comprehensive solution. Jeffries also touted a separate bill that would extend the health insurance tax credits for three years and announced plans to attempt to force a vote on the measure using a discharge petition.
The New York Democrat emphasized that the fight over the tax credits is not over and that Democrats would continue to prioritize the issue. He noted that constituents are concerned about the high cost of healthcare and are urging Democrats to “keep up the fight” to protect the health care of the American people. Jeffries placed blame for the shutdown on Republicans, stating that they had “embraced a shutdown” rather than working with Democrats to find a bipartisan solution. Overall, Jeffries’ comments suggest that the debate over the health insurance subsidies is far from over and that Democrats will continue to push for their extension in the coming weeks and months.