Deirdre Walsh

That would redirect money the government spends to subsidize ACA plans and instead give them directly to consumers and set up health care savings accounts.

Cassidy talked about this on Fox News Sunday.

So Thune hasn't decided if the Republicans are even going to put up an alternative for a vote.

Even if Republicans do move forward with something like Cassidy's plan, that doesn't have the votes to advance in the Senate either.

You know, these are shaping up to be messaging votes.

Right now, there's not an effort to get agreement on something that can actually become law.

OK, so what about the House?

Well, House Speaker Mike Johnson is planning to release a health care bill this week.

He's promising a vote this month, but we don't have any details on what's going to be in it, and he's not negotiating with any Democrats.

Like Senate Republicans, House Republicans are also divided.

Some, like the health savings account approach Cassidy's talking about, but there are other House Republicans from swing districts who are teaming up with Democrats to push bills.

They call for one- or two-year extensions of these subsidies with some reforms.

Well, the president has mostly been on the sidelines.

You know, some Republicans from competitive districts I talked to last week say they've reached out to him and the White House to talk about the policy and the politics about the need to extend these subsidies in some form.

But President Trump has not endorsed any legislation.

Members of both parties agree on one thing.

If Trump doesn't get involved to negotiate some kind of deal soon...

These major increases in health care premiums are going to happen in January, and they will definitely be a major issue in the 2026 midterms.

Thank you.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says bipartisan negotiations on a deal to head off increases in health care premiums in January never got serious.