Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said Democrats are taking Republicans “hostage” with their demands to extend ObamaCare tax credits, but he conceded that winning the public relations battle over the issue was “very challenging.”
Speaking Tuesday at The Hill’s “Health Next Summit,” Marshall, a medical doctor, said he did not believe the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies passed during the COVID-19 pandemic were the “real issue” preventing Democrats from reaching a deal to end the government shutdown, now approaching its second week.
“I think it’s a political issue, and that [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) with having such trouble with his base — I don’t know if it’s his base or AOC’s base — for not shutting the government down. You know, they want to do something to respond to President Trump,” Marshall said, referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
“So he had to do something. And then they’ve taken us hostage, which is the COVID subsidies,” he added.
Julia Manchester, national political reporter for The Hill, noted that polling indicated voters are siding with Democrats when it came to extending the subsidies. She asked Marshall how the GOP can better message when it comes to the ACA.
“I think it is very challenging because it’s a very deep issue. Look, I want everybody to have health care. It’s part of my MAHA pillars, is everyone has access meaningful access to affordable health care as well,” Marshall said, referencing the White House’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
Recent polling has shown broad support for extending ACA subsidies.
A KFF survey found that 59 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of supporters of the MAGA movement favor extending the tax credits. Among the general public, 78 percent of respondents said they’d like to see the tax credits extended.
When people who want to extend the enhanced tax credits were asked who deserves the most blame if they expire, 39 percent said Trump, 37 percent said Republicans in Congress and just 22 percent said Democrats in Congress.
Marshall said on CNN last week that other polls told a different story, though he was unable to point to specific polls when pressed on the claim. He argued Tuesday that pollsters were asking the wrong questions.
He predicted the responses would be different if people were told about the “waste, fraud and abuse” occurring in the ACA marketplace due to the enhanced tax credits and were asked if they wanted lawmakers to do something about it.
“It’s very hard to message because it’s a complex topic,” he added.
If Congress doesn’t act on ObamaCare, many Americans will start feeling the pinch within a few weeks.
Premiums are being determined now, and open enrollment for the ACA marketplace is less than a month away in most states, scheduled to begin Nov. 1. Premiums could more than double if insurers believe the tax credits will be allowed to expire.
Marshall did not stake out a position on extending the tax credits, but he said lawmakers should “address the fraud,” adding, “The true problem is that the Affordable Care Act is not affordable.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) have insisted they will not negotiate with Democrats on health care until they agree to reopen the government.
However, some Republicans seem to share Democratic concerns about letting the subsidies expire.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Monday she’s “absolutely disgusted” that health insurance premiums could double, even as she stressed her strong opposition to the Obama-era legislation.
Marshall was also asked Tuesday about the Trump administration’s recent advice telling women not to take Tylenol during pregnancy and warnings about vaccines for children that have been proven safe.
“What’s your advice to Americans who don’t know where to get health care information, they don’t necessarily know who to trust,” Manchester asked.
“How about your doctor?” Marshall responded, using himself as an example. “I don’t understand what the confusion is. I know your history. I know what you’re high risk for, what you’re doing, your social history as well.”
“And you’re right, there’s just too much information out there, and everybody overreacts to one study,” he added.
Manchester asked Marshall if he wished Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., like Vice President Vance, would prioritize telling Americans to “talk to your doctor” about their health care choices.
“Gosh, it’s hard to decipher everything you’ve said or not said. I assume they’ve said that before, but I can’t, I don’t remember,” he said.
Marshall, who started the MAHA Caucus in the Senate, was also somewhat critical of Kennedy’s work so far, particularly around ensuring healthy soil in agriculture by cracking down on pesticides and fertilizers.
“I think that the first MAHA report maybe missed the mark a little bit. I think the second report was a little bit better,” he said.
