(NewsNation) — A Republican congressman from California is among lawmakers from both parties trying to head off a spike in Obamacare premiums by extending tax credits to more than 20 million Americans who rely on them.
GOP members are grappling with the issue of affordability going into the 2026 midterm elections, but the party hasn’t offered a unified approach to taming healthcare costs. The White House reportedly shelved the unveiling of its own plan last week at the request of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., because conservatives won’t support the subsidies.
“You have enough bipartisan support on both sides for doing something here to provide relief for the folks who should not be the ones that get punished for the failure of Congress to control the cost of health care,” Rep. Kevin Kiley told “NewsNation Prime” on Sunday.
The “Fix It Act” that Kiley has helped introduce would temporarily extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies for two years while imposing reforms that he says would cut waste in the program.
“That gives us the urgency to act over the next two years to tackle the broader issues of access to health care and affordability in this country,” Kiley added.
The ACA premiums are set to rise dramatically at the beginning of 2026, as the previous tax credits expire.