As the government shutdown stretches into its fifth week, AMAC is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with leading conservative organizations in urging Congress not to cave to Democrat demands to extend temporary Obamacare subsidies that were only ever supposed to be short-term pandemic relief.
In a coalition letter to Senate Republican Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, AMAC and other groups applauded congressional leadership for their “masterful handling of the current government shutdown thus far, particularly your resistance to the Democrat demand that extending the expanded Obamacare subsidies be a condition for re-opening the federal government.”
The letter, which was signed by AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber along with organizations such as Advancing American Freedom, Concerned Women for America, and the Job Creators Network, urged congressional leaders to maintain “principled opposition to the expanded subsidies” that were enacted by a Democrat Congress and signed by a Democrat president during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The expanded Obamacare subsidies “were intended as additional help during the COVID-19 pandemic and were deliberately designed to expire when the COVID emergency ended,” the letter states. “The expanded subsidies, like the underlying Obamacare subsidies, go directly to insurance companies, not families, and can be retained by insurance companies, even when claims are not filed against them.”
That means these taxpayer-funded payments—costing more than $400 billion over the next decade—are flowing directly into the pockets of insurance companies, not the Americans struggling with record premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
A Democrat Shutdown
The ongoing government shutdown began on October 1 after Senate Democrats blocked a clean continuing resolution (CR) that would have kept the government open through November 21 at the same funding levels they themselves supported under President Biden—levels they voted for no fewer than 13 times. But this time, Democrats refused to allow a vote unless Republicans agreed to extend the temporary Obamacare subsidies and roll back key provisions of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
Because most legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes, at least eight Democrats would need to cross the aisle to pass the Republican CR. So far, only three have. As a result, Democrats are holding the government hostage to force through an extension of subsidies that were supposed to end once the pandemic did.
The True Cost of Obamacare Subsidies
As the Wall Street Journal recently explained, “These subsidies—costing taxpayers more than $400 billion over the next decade—have enticed higher-income Americans into unaffordable plans and distorted insurance markets. They belong in the dustbin of history.”
Originally, Affordable Care Act premium subsidies were available only to those earning up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level—about $62,600 for an individual or $128,600 for a family of four in 2025. But during the pandemic, Democrats temporarily removed that income cap, meaning “a family of four in Arizona making $600,000, a married couple in West Virginia making $580,000, and a single individual in Vermont making $180,000 all qualify for subsidies.”
Put simply, taxpayers are now subsidizing wealthy households to buy expensive health plans that many Americans can’t afford on their own. These subsidies “go directly to insurers to cap enrollees’ premium contributions at a certain percentage of their income,” effectively disguising the true cost of Obamacare plans behind massive government transfers.
Meanwhile, average premiums have increased nearly 80 percent since 2014 and more than doubled since 2011, while deductibles average $5,000 and out-of-pocket maximums exceed $21,000—with one in five claims denied. Despite $130 billion in annual subsidies, Obamacare enrollees are getting worse coverage for higher costs.
A Handout to Big Insurance—Paid by the Middle Class
As AMAC and its allies noted, these expanded subsidies don’t just waste taxpayer dollars—they reward the very corporate interests driving healthcare inflation. “The expanded subsidies provide benefits to some households with incomes over $500,000” and “fund plans that cover abortion and sex-change procedures,” the letter points out. “If extending these subsidies is wrong in September and October, doing so will still be wrong in November, December, and beyond.”
This policy isn’t about helping low-income families—it’s about funneling billions to insurance companies while middle- and working-class taxpayers foot the bill. As the Wall Street Journal put it, “Since 2021, Congress has been bribing higher-income Americans to purchase expensive Obamacare plans by hiding the plans’ true price tags using taxpayer dollars.”
The Path Forward
President Donald Trump’s economic policies have already brought inflation under control, restored consumer confidence, and unleashed economic growth. But now, Democrats want to resurrect the inflation monster by extending an absurdly expensive Obamacare policy that distorts the insurance market and drains taxpayers.
The solution is clear: let these subsidies expire as planned and return to a system that empowers patients, not bureaucrats or insurance executives. Innovative, affordable options—such as direct primary care, health-share ministries, and tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts—are already offering better care at lower costs.
As AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber affirmed through this coalition effort, America’s seniors and taxpayers have had enough of Washington’s wasteful spending. Congress must “immediately and publicly express [its] unconditional opposition to extending the expanded Obamacare subsidies, irrespective of what month it is or of the proximity to their expiration.”
The American people deserve real healthcare freedom—not another round of corporate welfare disguised as compassion.
Shane Harris is the Editor in Chief of AMAC Newsline. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.
Easy for AMAC members to support the ending of the expanded Obamacare subsidies since most of us are 65 or older and have coverage through Medicare.
However, over half of the people on Obamacare live in red states so many of our younger neighbors whose employers don’t provide medical insurance are going to be priced out of their medical coverage if those subsidies go away.
No more government subsidies. Anytime the government is subsidizing you to buy something is bad news from the start. Subsidies like that are a distribution of wealth. Because someone else’s money is being given to others to buy something. Think back just a short time ago when subsidies were being given out to buy all electric cars. The car manufacturers stated they raised the prices of all electric vehicles to off set the subsidies. How is that a good deal for anyone. Same with the government student loan program. The government loan program for college have raised the cost of education insanely. We are tired of subsidizing others with our hard earned tax money the government steals to redistribute to others.
Just another social experiment that BIG BROTHER glorified itself with, and the debtor becomes poorer and poorer. Let AMAC call for an Emancipation Proclamation for all taxpayer
Slaves to be rid of the evil overreach of a government that has waged war against the citizens and given in to their gaslighting lies.
A brilliant way of thinking is that it doesn’t need to be fixed, it just needs to be overturned. Medicaid and Medicare are enough and only those who really need it will have the help they need.
As I gaze stupidly into the future of our great Republic, I can hope that we the people will vote to make the right choices for future Americans. Time for prayer is now!
Why is some conservative PAC not already running ads with Pelosi’s “you have to pass the bill to read the bill” and other Dem speeches? This is THEIR hallmark Obama bill, their terms and their expiration date! Remind the voters before 2026 midterms that this ALL ON THE DEMOCRATS.
Another LIE from Barry O and his crew. Premiums were supposed to go down by $2500 a year. FALSE! Then Joey provides subsidies due to COVID; COVID is long gone but the DIMMs want to keep the subsidies! I think we still have “temporary” programs which were started during the depression in the 1930s. DIMMs will never cancel ANYTHING!!
No matter what issue needs to be addressed, the radical liberals want to throw money at it. This is how they were able to commit so much fraud during their terms in office. We all know not all of that money they threw ended up addressing the problem at all. It ended up in their pockets! I comment the GOP for standing firm on the issues causing the shut down of our government. Of course, the fake media is spewing the hate as usual and calling it a GOP shut down. Lies and fraud are their game!!
Appoximately 3.5 million people in the U.S. experience 1 if not more of the 40 types of seizures that are lumped into one medical term, Epilepsy. It is not uncommon for some people who have this condition to be denied medical assistance from the government as part of Disability. Brand name medications can cost as much as $3,000 for a 90 day supply of a given medication. Cheap generic medications, for some, are useless. Ending or not ending what ‘subsidies’ are in place there needs to include significant financial help for those who have epilepsy. The percentage of those who begin to have seizures increase with age. BTW. Epilepsy is often referred to as a disease. It is not contagious. No one can “catch” epilepsy like a head cold.
Obamacare has to be repealed.
Major changes to America’s healthcare system is needed. Insurance companies are taking advantage of those who need healthcare. The extremely high costs of procedures are also to blame. Overcharging patients for services is ridiculous. When you have a $5,000 to $6,000 deductible, as most policies do, insurance basically pays nothing. Add the outrageous premiums you pay for this limited coverage and you are facing a crisis. Most employers charge at least $1,000 month for premiums. And that doesn’t include what they have to contribute. This is why many Americans choose to forego employment and seek federal assistance so they can get Medicaid and Snap benefits. Who can blame them? Subsidies for Obamacare is not the solution. Many people don’t even qualify for those subsidies.
Obamacare nightmare where patient health and well being is the least of the worries. Money and lots of it is the primary objective.
If Obamacare were actually the panacea of health care that he touted, it would not need subsidies. In fact he was just lying, and he admitted it you don’t get to keep your plan and you don’t get to keep your doctor. It actually kicked more people out of their medical plans than it helped. Just a huge step to socialized medicine which is a disaster every place that it is done. Ask someone that lives in Canada or England. They’re trying to get rid of it. Only place that kind of works is Cuba, but that’s because nobody down there has any money anyway. And kids today think that the Cuban and the Russian form of government is superior to capitalism here, but then I stray
In the 00’s, I had coverage for wife and I for $50 a month–lucky. When I ‘retired’ in 2019, my Medicare and supplements costs $400 a month; about the same as premiums for employer-based insurance. Under Brandon, that swelled to $700 a month, and all insurance and taxes have swelled by double digit increases. Natural gas by a triple digit increase. Now I pay in extra income tax, no refund.
“AMAC Joins Effort…” What took you so long, AMAC? This should have been written a month ago!