House Republican leaders presented no firm plan Tuesday for advancing health care legislation as anxiety rises in the GOP ranks over the impending expiration of key Obamacare subsidies at the end of the year.
Instead, Speaker Mike Johnson presented attendees of a closed-door conference meeting with list of 10 possible policies that could get votes in the coming weeks or months, according to five Republicans in the room.
Some were more specific, such as an expansion of health savings accounts and an overhaul of pharmaceutical benefit manager oversight. Others were vague, including one bullet point that simply said, “Innovation.” The list did not include an extension of the expiring tax credits.
The presentation was followed by a heated discussion over the path forward on health care for the party, and vulnerable members including Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) stood up to warn against the political fallout of failing to extend the expiring subsidies.
Some later expressed their dismay at how poorly they believe GOP leaders have handled the topic.
“There was a general uneasiness because nothing is coming together,” said a House Republican, one of several granted anonymity to speak candidly about the private meeting.
“We wasted so much time,” one conservative Republican said, also lamenting the lack of a unified GOP plan with just seven session days left in the year.
More than 20 GOP members spanning various factions inside the conference lined up at microphones to weigh in at one point. Hard-liners, for instance, raised opposition to any extension of the subsidies if they don’t include further restrictions abortion coverage, a view that clashes with Republicans in at-risk districts next fall.
“There was no consensus,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said.
GOP leaders continue to believe they are on track to vote on several bills next week on some less controversial items, such as the HSA expansion and funding a program to reduce out-of-pocket costs for Obamacare enrollees. But an extension of the expiring tax credits is not in the cards, according to three other Republicans granted anonymity to describe leadership thinking.
Johnson indicated in the meeting that Republicans could continue working on health care into the first half of next year — just ahead of the midterm elections.
Mia McCarthy and Benjamin Guggenheim contributed to this report.
