Sen. Mark Kelly said Sunday that Republican promises to hold a future vote on extending healthcare subsidies would not persuade Democrats to back the GOP's plan to end the government shutdown.
He called instead for "real negotiation" and a concrete fix for rising insurance costs, The Hill reported.
Appearing on NBC News' "Meet the Press," the Arizona Democrat said the GOP proposal lacked the substance needed to address the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies, which could raise health insurance premiums for millions of Americans.
"Not right now, no," Kelly said when asked whether Democrats would accept a deal tied to a commitment for a later vote. "We need a real negotiation, and we need a fix."
"We need this corrected for the American people," he added, saying that Democrats would not settle for "some vote without an assured outcome."
The subsidies, originally expanded under pandemic-era legislation, have become a flashpoint in the ongoing funding standoff that has shut down portions of the federal government. Republicans have proposed reopening agencies while delaying any final decision on extending the subsidies until later this year.
Kelly said the approach fails to offer certainty to families facing sharp increases in health insurance premiums if the aid lapses. "For so many people, their healthcare is running toward a cliff, and if we don't fix this, it's going to go right over it," he said.
He argued the problem could be solved quickly if both sides engaged in serious talks. "Now, here's the thing: The president has indicated that he wants to do something about this. And he wants the government open," Kelly said. "Well, we want this fixed, and we want the government open. So why is there a problem here?"
President Donald Trump has urged Congress to resolve the funding impasse but has not endorsed a specific plan on the subsidy issue. White House officials said the president remains committed to both reopening the government and protecting affordable coverage for middle-income Americans.
Kelly expressed optimism that a compromise was within reach if congressional leaders and the White House met directly to craft a bipartisan solution.
"And all this is going to take is putting everybody in the room for an extended period of time and coming up to some reasonable conclusion," he said. "This isn't one of these cases where you have people that want different outcomes.
"The president has said he is interested in extending these subsidies."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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