Rep. Jimmy Patronis on Tuesday criticized the Affordable Care Act and questioned a House-passed plan to extend health law subsidies, saying the U.S. healthcare system is producing steep annual cost increases and that Congress should shift more power to consumers.
"Obamacare is broken," the Florida Republican told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early," while noting that the nation's healthcare system is seeing "double-digit increases every single year."
Patronis said that 17 House Republicans joined Democrats on the subsidy measure but said he does not believe additional federal dollars guarantee lower premiums.
"I think there's no guarantee it's going to make it more affordable," he said. "All you're doing is throwing money at the insurance companies where there is going to be no consumer choice engaged."
Patronis said he favors proposals he linked to Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and the White House that would route assistance directly to policyholders rather than insurers.
"What we've been advocating for is send the dollars straight to the policyholders, not send it to the insurance companies," he said.
He compared the approach to the competition among car insurers, arguing that healthcare should function more like a consumer marketplace.
"You give it to the consumer, and you give the consumer choice," Patronis said.
Patronis also pointed to tight margins in the House as lawmakers try to avoid a government shutdown, saying Republican leaders must assemble broad support to advance legislation.
The House "has literally a single vote majority," he said.
"We have to push out bills with a consensus where we only can lose one vote," Patronis said, praising House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., for their efforts.
On trade, Patronis defended President Donald Trump's use of tariffs, saying the threat of tariffs gives the administration leverage in negotiations and warning that court action limiting tariffs could undermine that strategy.
"When you inject the court system and blow up the tariffs in the middle of these negotiations, then we lose leverage," Patronis said.
He said a ruling against tariffs would harm American workers, contending that tariffs are being used to strengthen domestic manufacturing.
"It ultimately hurts American jobs right now. What the president has been doing, he's been leveraging tariffs in order to strengthen the American manufacturing base," Patronis said.
Patronis said removing tariffs would allow China to maintain its position in global trade.
"If you blow up tariffs, then ultimately China [retains] their staying status quo," he said.
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