Health insurance deal hits reality check in U.S. Senate

When a bipartisan coalition in the U.S. House voted this month to approve a three-year, $80 billion extension of extra insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act — over the opposition of Republican leaders in Congress — there was a sense of accomplishment in the hallways of the Capitol.

Lawmakers in both parties genuinely thought they had taken a giant first step toward forging a plan to help more than 20 million Americans who are being hit this year with higher health insurance costs.

“It’s now time for the Senate to do the right thing and extend the ACA tax credits,” said U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia.

But it only took a few days for that feeling of optimism to evaporate. As senators from both parties met on Tuesday, they suddenly seemed to be spinning their wheels.

The promised release of a compromise bill didn’t happen. Instead of talking about momentum and how to hammer out a final few details — like questions over funding restrictions related to abortion — lawmakers offered bland statements that sounded like things had suddenly gone sideways.

“We’re having a candid and cordial conversation,” U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., told reporters, using a line which is often reserved for situations where the two parties remain at loggerheads.

Maybe the most telltale sign of trouble came a few minutes later as U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno emerged from the meeting.

Instead of stopping to brief the press, the normally talkative Ohio Republican, who has positioned himself as one of the main GOP negotiators, rushed up the “Senators only” stairs without making any comment.

No Georgia Republicans are involved in these talks. That has fallen mainly to moderate GOP lawmakers who hold swing seats in states like New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

“Obviously, we all need to be on the same page,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who has led GOP calls for a health insurance compromise, which includes some reforms in the Obamacare system.

The lack of progress came after President Donald Trump suggested that he might veto any bill to extend the subsidies, which expired at the end of 2025. It’s safe to say that if Trump isn’t on board, the chances for action in Congress will dim substantially.

“We’re trying to find a path toward a bipartisan deal,” Warnock told reporters.