Congress returns to Washington on Monday facing a compressed December calendar and a high-stakes battle over expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that could trigger premium spikes for millions.
Republicans are racing to align with President Donald Trump as they assemble a package of sweeping ACA reforms that can pass both chambers — and secure Trump's signature — following the 43-day shutdown that Democrats triggered while pressing for subsidy action, Politico reported.
The shutdown, which yielded Democrats little more than a promise of a future vote, drained more than a month of negotiating time.
During the Thanksgiving recess, the White House appeared close to releasing a framework to extend the Obamacare subsidies with new income-based restrictions, only for Trump to temporarily pull back amid internal GOP criticism, according to the report.
"The president has got to sign whatever we do," Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., told Politico, emphasizing that any plan must reflect Trump's bottom line.
Fitzpatrick is working on what he describes as a bipartisan proposal that closely mirrors the leaked White House framework.
The Senate is expected to vote as early as Dec. 9 on a healthcare package promised to Democrats as part of the deal ending the shutdown. But lawmakers in both parties still aren't sure what will be included.
"How quickly can something come together?" Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., asked before leaving for the holiday break.
Fitzpatrick and other centrist Republicans hope to pair a temporary subsidy extension — a priority for Democrats — with new restrictions and safeguards meant to satisfy GOP concerns.
Their push has drawn support from the Republican Main Street Caucus, whose chair, Republican Rep. Mike Flood of Nebraska, backed the contours of the leaked plan.
But Politico reported that other Republicans want a more dramatic overhaul of the ACA, including Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rick Scott of Florida, who pitched Trump on proposals centered on individual spending accounts.
Scott has branded his version, "Trump Health Freedom Accounts."
Even if consensus emerges, abortion-related restrictions remain a major sticking point, with many Republicans insisting on them and many Democrats refusing to consider them.
Behind the scenes, multiple GOP factions are drafting competing alternatives, though none appears certain to unify the party.
In a fallback scenario, House centrists are preparing a discharge petition to force a vote if leadership cannot deliver a bipartisan deal, Politico said.
Democrats, Politico reports, are themselves divided — torn between negotiating a limited compromise with Republicans or pushing sweeping healthcare expansions ahead of the midterms.
As Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, put it, the search for a deal is far from over: "There are a lot of things going on."
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