Congress has left Washington for the holidays, all but guaranteeing that those Obamacare subsidies will expire in 10 days, and millions of Americans will in turn see their premiums skyrocket. But before they took off, four House Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force a vote on extending those subsidies in the new year and potentially staving off those painful price hikes. Earlier today, House Minority Leader Hakee Jeff mapped out a possible path forward. House Democrats are go ...

Joining me now uh is the view from the House side of things and that's Democratic Congressman of Pennsylvania Brendan Bole who says that he is a hell no on this Senate deal. Uh Congressman Bole, you just heard uh the reaction from your fellow Pennian uh Senator Federman. Uh he obviously feels as though it was time to reopen the government.Uh why do you feel differently. >> Oh, I disagree with that characterization. I have from the very beginning, House Democrats have been united saying that it was Republica ...

Healthcare Costs & Policy Impacts - Kaiser Family Foundation analysis estimates a 114% increase in annual out-of-pocket premiums if tax credits expire, averaging $1,016 [2] - Healthcare costs are expected to rise for all Americans due to the Republican tax bill, with ACA exchange participants experiencing the most immediate impact [3][4] - Medicare cuts are scheduled to take effect on January 1st, impacting providers and potentially leading to cost increases passed on to consumers [3] - Medicaid cuts are planned to begin in December of next year, potentially affecting a significant portion of the population [4] - Cost shifting throughout the healthcare system, including closures especially in rural areas, will likely lead to increased costs for the 160 million Americans with employer-sponsored healthcare [4] Political Landscape & Legislative Actions - Some House Republicans are reportedly open to mitigating healthcare cuts, but face opposition from a majority of their caucus who oppose taxpayer-funded healthcare [5][12][13] - Democrats are pushing for measures to limit the president's ability to cut funding appropriated by Congress [13][15] - The Republican tax bill included over $5 trillion in tax cuts, largely benefiting the top 1%, and was partially offset by roughly $1.5 trillion in cuts, with healthcare cuts accounting for about $1 trillion [10] Executive Power & Congressional Authority - The executive branch is accused of seizing the power of the purse through recisions and empowerment, potentially undermining the system of checks and balances [15][16] - Legislation like the Congressional Power of the Purse Act aims to strengthen Congress's ability to prevent the executive from unilaterally cutting appropriated funds [15][25] - Concerns are raised that allowing the executive to continue impounding funds would grant dictatorial power to the president [16][18]

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Initiatives - DNC is leading an effort called "Organizing Summer" to lay the groundwork for future elections, focusing on the Republican tax bill [1] - The plan includes helping volunteers counter Republican messaging in various spaces [2] - DNC has held over 130 town halls to hold Republicans accountable [3] - DNC raised a record amount of money in the first four months [3] - Democrats have overperformed in 35 elections in the last four months [4] - The organizing program encourages people to text "summer" to 43367 to get involved [5][14] Republican Tax Bill Opposition - The Republican tax bill is considered dangerous and unpopular, with bipartisan opposition [6][7][16] - The bill is described as a betrayal of millions of Americans, including Republicans [13] - The bill is going back to the House, meaning there's more opportunity to fight it [11] - The DNC aims to put pressure on Republicans in the House and Senate to oppose the bill [12]