Trump Signals Veto of Obamacare Extension Bill

Cost of Living Emerges as Key Midterm Issue
Republicans Maintain Opposition to ACA ('Obamacare')
Seventeen House Republicans from Swing States Break Ranks
Senate Passage of ACA Extension Bill Remains Uncertain

Donald Trump, President of the United States Yonhap News

President Donald Trump of the United States has signaled his intention to veto the bill extending subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as 'Obamacare'.

According to Bloomberg on January 11, President Trump told reporters at an air force base that if Congress sends him the ACA extension bill, "he may exercise his veto power."

This follows the passage of a bill in the House of Representatives on January 8 that would reinstate ACA tax credits and apply them for three years, with 230 votes in favor and 196 against, sending the bill to the Senate. While it remains uncertain whether the ACA extension will pass the Senate, local media have noted the emergence of dissenting votes within the Republican Party.

Currently, the Republican Party holds a narrow majority in the House with 218 out of 435 seats. Seventeen Republican lawmakers broke ranks with the Trump camp during the vote.

The reason some Republican lawmakers in the House defied party leadership is that rising insurance premiums have become the most significant issue for the upcoming midterm elections. The Trump administration's opposition to the subsidy extension led to the expiration of the tax credits.

With the new year underway, there are projections that health insurance premiums for millions of households across the United States will surge, and many Republican lawmakers are reportedly under pressure regarding the cost-of-living issue. Most of the Republican lawmakers who supported the extension bill are from swing states facing competitive midterm races.