Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said Democrats are taking Republicans "hostage" with their demands to extend ObamaCare tax credits, but he conceded that winning the public relations battle over the issue was "very challenging."
Speaking Tuesday at The Hill's "Health Next Summit," Marshall, a medical doctor, said he did not believe the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies passed during the COVID-19 pandemic were the "real issue" preventing Democrats from reaching a deal to end t...
White House raises shutdown pressure game, threatening no back pay for furloughed workers
The White House is wielding the new threat of no back pay for furloughed workers as a tactic to pressure Democrats to end the weeklong government shutdown.
The previous shutdown ended with legislation, known as the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, that required furloughed workers in future shutdowns be paid once the government is opened.
But that didn’t stop the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from issuing a draft memo this week raising t...
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene’s break from the GOP on the shutdown is significant
Marjorie Taylor Greene broke with her party on the shutdown and echoed Democrats' complaints about subsidies for Obamacare ending. That's bad news for Trump.
Schumer: ‘Greene is absolutely right’ on health care demands
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) touted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) call to extend Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, as he doubled down on his opposition to funding the government without addressing the expiring tax credits.
In remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday, the Democratic leader read aloud from part of a social media post in which Greene said she’s “absolutely disgusted” that health insurance premiums could double if the ACA subsidies e...
Live updates: Senate won’t hold votes to end shutdown on Tuesday; Trump says some furloughed workers ‘don’t deserve’ back pay
The Senate on Tuesday opted not to hold votes on a pair of competing bills to end the government shutdown.
Both the bills, including a GOP-crafted, House-passed "clean" resolution, have failed five times on the floor already.
Earlier Tuesday, President Trump said some furloughed federal workers "don't deserve" back pay after a draft White House memo raised the possibility that some employees might not be paid after the government shutdown.
“I would say...
Jeffries rejects one-year extension of ObamaCare subsidies: ‘A laughable proposition’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday rejected a short-term extension of ObamaCare subsidies as part of the effort to reopen the government, calling it a “laughable proposition” that won’t win Democratic support.
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) is pushing legislation to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which expire on Jan. 1, through the end of 2026. The proposal has bipartisan support, and some political observers view it as a launching pad for...
Sanders: Trump may be ‘crazy’ and ‘lie all of the time,’ but ‘he’s a good politician’
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), while maintaining past criticisms voiced about President Trump, has praised the commander in chief's political prowess.
"It is clear that this shutdown has got to end as soon as possible," Sanders said on CNN's "The Source with Kaitlan Collins" on Monday. "But what‘s also clear is that Trump now understands that he has to finally deal with the health care crisis that his legislation, the big beautiful bill, has caused."
"Trump may be c...
Jon Stewart rips Schumer over joke: ‘What the f‑‑‑ are you doing?’
Comedian Jon Stewart ripped Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday over a flat joke.
Stewart played a clip of Schumer’s remarks during "The Daily Show," in which the lawmaker said, “Democrats are adamant that we must protect the health care of the American people.”
The comedian chimed in, “If you had stopped there, that would be great. But you’re going to keep talking, aren’t you?”
The recording of Schumer continued with footage of him n...
Democrat shutdown cuts off aid to the poor to give the rich cheaper insurance
Pregnant women, poor children and the disabled are some of society’s most vulnerable populations. It’s a shame that Democrats in Washington are using these populations as bargaining chips to undo needed reforms to social safety net programs like Medicaid that would combat fraud and abuse to preserve these programs for the most needy.
The left’s federal government shutdown is not just needless; it is heartless.
We are now officially one week into the government shut...
White House memo argues furloughed workers not guaranteed backpay
A draft memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is raising the possibility that furloughed federal workers may not be entitled to backpay from their time off during the government shutdown.
An administration confirmed to The Hill that the memo, which was first reported by Axios, hinges on an aggressive interpretation of the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which President Trump signed during the last government shutdown.
The OMB memo arg...