Speaker Johnson warns White House that House Republicans are wary of Trump’s healthcare push

Speaker Mike Johnson (R, LA) cautioned the White House that most House Republicans don’t have an appetite for extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, according to people familiar with the matter, showing how hard it will be politically to stave off sharp increases in healthcare costs next year for many Americans.

President Trump’s proposed healthcare plan would eliminate $0 premiums, giving enrollees a minimum premium payment. It also would call for Congress to appropriate funds for cost-sharing reductions, which are discounts intended to lower the out-of-pocket costs for people with health insurance.

But Trump’s plan would contradict longstanding GOP criticisms of the law. And it could set the stage for GOP leaders in Congress to advance a program they deeply detest after warning for months of its harmful effects. 

Since 2010, Republicans have hammered the ACA as a government takeover of the nation’s health care system that’s eroded patient liberties and undermined the quality of care while increasing costs for individuals and exploding deficit spending. 

Republicans are divided over a path forward on healthcare. Conservative lawmakers want the subsidies to expire, and others have proposed alternatives to extending the tax credits, such as funding health savings accounts— something Trump himself called for, after saying he would not sign any legislation that extended the subsidies. 

Meanwhile, more moderate and frontline Republicans are endorsing the plan the White House floated. The Republican Main Street Caucus in a statement said it “is committed to working with President Trump, our House leadership, and the committees of jurisdiction to find a solution that can pass Congress before the end of the year.” 

Because of this, it looks unlikely that the entirety of the GOP House Caucus will support President Trump’s healthcare plan, as it is currently constituted. The President is stubborn, so he may try to force House Republicans into compliance. But it seems more likely that he will have to rework many of the details of his healthcare proposal.