Dems want ObamaCare subsidies funded in exchange for $15B to military
An emerging government funding deal would see Democrats agreeing to $15 billion in additional military funding in exchange for the GOP agreeing to fund healthcare subsidies, according to two congressional officials briefed on the talks.
Facing a Friday deadline to pass a spending bill and avert a shutdown, Democrats are willing to go halfway to President Trump’s initial request of $30 billion in supplemental military funding.
In exchange, Democratic leaders want the GOP to agree to fund cost-sharing reduction subsidies. If the subsidies are halted, Democrats warn that millions of people will lose healthcare coverage as the ObamaCare exchanges collapse because of a funding shortfall.
Democrats argue that it’s in the interest of House Republicans to agree to appropriate money for the healthcare subsidies because otherwise the Trump administration will have the burden of making those payments under its executive authority.
If Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) refuses to agree to an estimated $10 billion in funding for cost-sharing subsidies, then Democrats will demand that the $15 billion in extra military funding be matched with an equal increase in supplemental funding for non-military programs — hewing to a standard they have long insisted upon.
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/330507-gop-gives-ground-on-border-wall-deportation-in-spending-talks
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