The gambit by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., to force a U.S. Senate vote on extending Obamacare healthcare premium subsidies failed, as predicted, with the Senate voting 51-48 Thursday in favor of a bill that would extend the subsidies by three years.
By the logic of how our U.S. Senate works, 51 in favor and 48 against didn’t work to pass the bill – the vote wasn’t actually on the bill itself, but on rules for the bill that would squelch a possible filibuster, which needs 60 votes to proceed.
A Republican bill that is nothing more than a bad joke – would have provided up to $1,500 a year in payments for health savings accounts for Americans earning less than 700 percent of the federal poverty level – failed by a similar vote of 51 in favor, 48 against.
The bad joke behind the MAGA bill: the money that they would have provided to taxpayers could not be used to pay for healthcare premiums; deductibles for plans in the Obamacare marketplace average around $7,000, according to data from the health policy organization KFF.
Kaine’s part in this was to lead a group of moderates in the Senate Democratic caucus in support of a deal with Republicans to end the 40-day government shutdown last month in exchange for the promised vote on the Obamacare premiums.
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It was obvious from the get-go that Republicans aren’t interested in doing anything to help people who are about to pay gobs more for health insurance – that, or just drop off the rolls altogether.
We’re still waiting to hear from Kaine on today’s vote.
In the meantime, we did get a statement from U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who last week talked up his newfound support for universal healthcare.
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“Enhanced Premium Tax Credits have put health insurance within reach for millions of Americans, including small business owners and employees, gig workers, and many other people who cannot count on employer-provided health care. The legislation put forth by Democrats today would have extended these tax credits for three years, providing Americans with certainty while allowing Congress to focus on improving our healthcare system and fixing its flaws. Today is a sad day for middle-class families, for parents with vulnerable children, and for people whose lives are better because they can buy their medications every month and see a doctor when they need to,” Warner said, adding:
“As my Republican colleagues prepare to leave town and spend the holidays with their loved ones, I’m thinking of the millions of American families who will be counting down the New Year knowing they’ll have to pay more, settle for less, or perhaps forgo health insurance altogether when the clock strikes midnight.”