Senate Dems' Obamacare fix fails as Senate looks for off-ramp from healthcare cliff

Senate Republicans rallied to block Senate Democrats extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies as both sides of the aisle suffer defeats on their proposals to deal with the looming healthcare cliff Over the program of the -day leadership shutdown Senate Democrats made the longest closure in history all about the subsidies which were passed and enhanced under former President Joe Biden They argued that if Congress didn t act Americans who rely on the subsidies would be hit with skyrocketing premiums Their plan however was one that was never going to pass muster with the majority of Senate Republicans who demanded myriad reforms to the undertaking that they charged was rife with fraud DUELING OBAMACARE PLANS SET TO FAIL AS DEADLINE NEARS PUSHING SENATE TOWARD BIPARTISAN TALKSOnly Sens Susan Collins R-Maine Lisa Murkowski R-Alaska Dan Sullivan R-Alaska and Josh Hawley R-Mo split from their party to endorsement Democrats' plan on an otherwise party line vote on Thursday leaving the upper chamber without a cure to the fast-approaching deadline to either extend or replace the subsidies Still both sides of the aisle want to tackle rising healthcare costs they just can t agree on the best resolution We don't need to come up with the perfect plan Hawley reported Fox News Digital before the vote We need to say what will help right now to lower healthcare costs That's a more achievable goal and that's doable so I am willing to vote for just about anything that has a legitimate shot at lowering healthcare costs right now So that's where I'd start Senate Democrats plan in comparison with Republicans offering that was blocked minutes before was a straightforward three-year extension of the expiring enhanced subsidies GOP ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF MANUFACTURING AFFORDABILITY PREDICAMENT AS OBAMACARE SUBSIDY FIGHT NEARS DEADLINEBut the plan did not include several reforms Republicans demanded like measures to prevent fraud income caps and more stringent enforcement of Hyde Amendment language that would prevent taxpayer dollars from funding abortions Our bill is the only proposal on either side that has party-wide patronage on both sides of the Capitol Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N Y announced Senate Majority Leader John Thune R-S D charged that Democrats proposal wasn t based on reality What Schumer is saying about a Democrat plan that will lower healthcare costs is a fantasy Thune disclosed It just is It's a fantasy While neither side can reach a consensus on how to really move forward on a healthcare plan both recognize that time is running out to find a fix and that the cost of healthcare is running rampant SENATE DEMOCRATS PUSH OBAMACARE SUBSIDY VOTE 'DESIGNED TO FAIL' AS REPUBLICANS CALL PLAN UNSERIOUSDemocrats see the subsidies as a quick fix that can stop the bleeding while Republicans are looking for broader immediate reforms that could start putting a dent in healthcare costs Bipartisan talks have continued throughout the process but those too are being hampered by the GOP s red line on more stringent enforcement of anti-abortion measures on the Obamacare exchange which is a nonstarter for Democrats Sen John Hoeven R-N D predicted that both Republicans and Democrats proposals would fail but that hopefully that keeps us working on getting something where we provide assistance but get particular reforms But we can't keep just sending the money to insurance companies and continue this runaway clinical inflation that just perpetuates the predicament Hoeven mentioned