Democrats' "Temporary" Obamacare Scam

With inflation at 9.1%, and signs pointing to a recession, Democrats think they have figured out just what the American people are clamoring for: raid Medicare and give American families fewer cures for more big-government health care and subsidies for six-figure earners. 

Democrats Learned All the Wrong Lessons

Last year, Democrats used their $2 trillion “COVID” stimulus to expand the Affordable Care Act. The law eliminated the income threshold that kept higher-earning Americans from receiving taxpayer-funded subsidies, and it increased subsidy amounts for people who were already eligible. As a result of this expansion, a typical four-person family earning $125,000 – or double the median household income in the U.S. – could be eligible for almost $5,700 in subsidies this year.

Democrats put these “emergency” provisions in place for two years, but they always intended to make this expansion of the welfare state permanent. By setting up a benefit cliff at the end of this year, they expected it would be easy to get their way. Now they’re taking the next step to keep the handouts going. Their proposal would extend the expanded subsidies for another two years, jamming through a permanent policy one “temporary” scam at a time. Democrats’ plans would eliminate the statutory income limitation on who can receive taxpayer-funded subsidies.

Democrats are hoping that enacting sweeping policy changes one cliff at a time will keep Americans in the dark on the long-term implications of their reckless plans. This scheme was torpedoed by a recent analysis that details the effects of making their “temporary” policies permanent. The Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation found that Democrats’ permanently expanded Obamacare tax subsidies would add $248 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade. They project that $7 billion of this money would go to households earning more than 750% of the federal poverty level – or $208,000 for a family of four.

Democrats’ grand plan is another deficit-spending juggernaut that will hand out welfare to six-figure earners and inflict more big-government health care on families. Eighteen months ago, Democrats foisted $2 trillion worth of their progressive agenda on Americans. Today, 74% of Americans say the United States is on the wrong track. Somehow, Democrats still have not learned their lesson.