Democrats will force a Senate vote on a 3-year extension of Affordable Care Act funds

Source: NBC News

Dec. 4, 2025, 11:09 AM EST


WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday that Democrats will force a vote next week on a bill to extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax credits and prevent health insurance premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans.

Schumer said it will be a “clean” three-year extension of the enhanced ACA funds that first passed in 2021, designed to cap premiums for an average marketplace plan to 8.5% of income, and he said “every single Democrat will support it.” Schumer’s legislation is all but guaranteed to fail, as many GOP senators want the ACA funds to expire, arguing that the Covid-era subsidies were meant to be temporary and are no longer needed.

“Republicans have one week to decide where they stand: Vote for this bill and bring health care costs down, or block this bill and send premiums skyrocketing,” Schumer said on the floor. “That’s what’s at stake when we vote next week. It’s going to be one of the most important votes we take.”

The vote is the product of a promise that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made to Democrats in discussions to end the record-long government shutdown last month. Thune reiterated Tuesday that the Senate will vote next week on any bill Democrats propose — but it will require 60 votes to pass, meaning at least 13 Republicans would need to support it.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-will-force-senate-vote-obamacare-funds-extension-premiums-rcna247364