During an appearance on this week's broadcast of CNN's "State of the Union," U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) stated that the Democrat opposition in the U.S. Senate was using the federal government shutdown to pander to the far left.
The junior Alabama U.S. Senator was asked if she would agree to extend Obamacare subsidies if Democrats allowed a vote on reopening the government.
"In many states, people are beginning to see how much their health costs will rise if the expanded Obamacare subsidies expire," host Dana Bash said. "That's, of course, what Democrats have been warning about; 130,000 of your constituents in Alabama could lose their coverage. And your leader, the Senate majority leader, John Thune, says he is willing to hold a vote to extend those subsidies if the government reopens. Would you vote to extend the subsidies?"
Britt replied, "Look, first off, let's be honest about this. Democrats are playing politics. They are pandering to the far left because they're actually terrified of them. They're not working for the American people. Leader Thune has put a clean [continuing resolution] that has passed the House on the floor. This is something that Democrats voted for 13 times under President Biden to give us an opportunity to continue to do our work, the actual appropriations process, which you hear no Democrats talking about. When it comes to the ACA subsidies and these COVID — these COVID-era subsidies, look, you didn't hear them talking about that until days before they put it — until the government was needed to be funded."
"And the bottom line on this is, when you look at the costs that are coming up in 2026, the vast majority of the cost that the American people are going to see, 80% of the raise in prices that they will see in Obamacare has to do with a fundamentally flawed program, Dana. Look, from the very beginning, Obamacare was never affordable. You even saw "The Washington Post" say the Affordable Care Act was never affordable. So, coming in, in 2010, they put in subsidies in 2014, then put them in again in COVID in 2021. And these subsidies that they are fighting for allow millionaires to be able to take advantage of them.
Jeff Poor is the editor-in-chief of 1819 News and host of "The Jeff Poor Show," heard Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-noon on Mobile's FM Talk 106.5. To connect or comment, email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jeff_poor.
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