'Consequences': GOP lawmakers reportedly 'increasingly worried' they'll lose power in 2026
Republican lawmakers are becoming "increasingly worried" that they will face "political consequences" in 2026 for failing to address Democratic concerns about health subsidies, according to new reporting.
Sarah Ferris and Manu Raju of CNN on Sunday published an article called, "GOP grows uneasy over voters’ health care premiums amid shutdown standoff," in which the reporters argue that, "Anxiety is rising among congressional Republicans that their party has no plan to address a critical health care deadline this fall that will result in spiking costs for millions of Americans – the issue at the heart of the deepening government shutdown crisis."
According to Ferris and Raju, "[S]ome of those GOP members are offering a stark warning to their own leaders: Doing nothing could cost them their full control of Congress in next November’s midterms, calling for a plan that would address expiring enhanced Obamacare tax credits to be swiftly advanced once the government eventually reopens."
The article quotes Rep. David Valadao, a vulnerable GOP lawmaker from California, who said, "I think the reality is, if costs go up under our control, it could have an impact on us... I get that there’s some in leadership who don’t like hearing it but there’s no denying it."
"Just watching rates go up and pointing fingers is not what we should be doing in our position," Valadao added.
According to the report, "Valadao is among dozens of rank-and-file House and Senate members who have begun drafting their own ideas about how to deal with the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which help millions of Americans afford insurance."
"Many of those GOP members — predominantly from battleground seats — are also directly urging their leadership and the White House to do something to make sure the tax credits keep flowing at year’s end," the outlet reported.
In sharing the article, Ferris wrote, "New: Hill Rs increasingly worried about lack of plan to address health care costs once shutdown ends."
"Many warning of political consequences," she added.