Senate back to square one on health care after both bills fail
Enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits are set to expire soon.
The Senate on Thursday failed to advance two competing health care proposals aimed at addressing a spike in costs that are expected for tens of millions of Americans who receive enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Both plans, one put forward by Democrats and the other championed by Republicans, failed to get the 60 votes needed.
Now, lawmakers are back to square one with only a matter of days remaining to address the looming expiration of the enhanced tax credits.
The credits -- which were the focal point of the record government shutdown this fall -- help lower or eliminate the out-of-pocket cost of monthly premiums for individuals who purchase insurance through the marketplace. They are set to expire at the end of the year, which will cause prices to skyrocket.
Democrats proposed a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies. It failed in a vote of 51-48, though several Republican senators crossed the aisle to join all Democrats in supporting it.
Senate Republicans offered a bill to do away with the enhanced tax credits and instead take the extra money and put it into health savings accounts for those who purchase bronze-level or "catastrophic" plans on the ACA exchanges. The plan also failed to advance in a 51-48 vote.
What's next?
Both parties blamed the other after Thursday's votes.
"Our vote had a majority and was bipartisan, and theirs was not. After today's vote, the American health care crisis is now 100% on Republican shoulders,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at a news conference at the Capitol.
Schumer maintained that he and other Democratic leaders have wanted to negotiate with Republicans over a solution, but they haven’t been willing to find a satisfying compromise.
"There is no compromise when both Leader [John] Thune and Leader [Mike] Johnson say they're totally against extending the ACA credits, which is going to come crashing down on people in 20 days," Schumer said.
Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy said in a statement that "Democrats need to stop playing politics with people’s health care and come to the table to find real solutions."
"Republicans want to make health care affordable and put thousands in patients' pockets to help pay for their out-of-pocket expenses," Cassidy said.
Ahead of the vote series, Senate Majority Leader John Thune reiterated the GOP's position that reforms to the ACA are needed, but didn't answer when pressed by ABC News if those changes could pass the Senate by the end of the year.
Though Cassidy said he believed there might be a "bridge" between the two parties since four Republican senators voted for the Democrats' clean, three-year extension to the ACA tax credits.
Cassidy told ABC News that Republicans are looking at a "hybrid approach" to appease the Democrats' request for a temporary extension to ACA subsidies if it can help lower patients' deductibles.
"That could be a way forward," Cassidy said.
Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, a Republican, told ABC News that he hopes constructive health care conversations can continue next week.
ABC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Jay O'Brien asked Democratic Sen. Peter Welch if a deal can be reached before the end of the month.
"Well, it could be. This is not hard. It just takes us to agree, and many of my Republican colleagues have expressed real concern about what's going to happen to families they represent. So what I outlined, it's very doable. It's just a matter of whether we can get the bipartisan agreement that's required," Welch said.
"The person that’s missing in this whole effort is the president," Welch added.
Will Trump get involved?
ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce pressed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday if President Donald Trump is prepared to let the subsidies expire or if he is going to step in.
"The president is prepared to take action on health care, and he wants Republicans on the Hill to do the same," Leavitt said. She pointed to the Senate health care proposal unveiled this week and blamed Democrats for the expiring ACA subsidies.
"You'll hear more from the president and from the White House on that very soon as for wanting a solution to lower health care costs," Leavitt added.
Trump has suggested giving money directly to Americans to pay for their health care coverage, but hasn't released any specific proposals.
Schumer indicated on Thursday that he hasn’t spoken to Trump over health care negotiations, and the last time he talked with the president was in September ahead of the government shutdown.
"This is not a president that's coming to try to find any kind of a compromise or work with us on this," Schumer said.
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