House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Monday that once the government shutdown ends, House Republicans will push forward proposals aimed at lowering rising healthcare costs. He noted that the House passed a short-term funding bill on Sept. 19 to keep the government open through Nov. 21, but it stalled in the Senate due to disagreements over Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring on Dec. 31. Appearing on “The Record with Greta Van Susteren,” Johnson did not specify when the House might take up the Senate’s bipartisan plan to extend funding through Jan. 30, though the Senate has already cleared a procedural hurdle. He said the subsidy issue is urgent and will require focused work in the coming weeks.
Johnson argued that Republicans had already included healthcare reforms in their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but Democrats removed them during negotiations. He said current federal subsidies mostly benefit large insurance companies and actually contribute to higher premiums. According to Johnson, the GOP’s original measure would have lowered premiums by 12.7%, but Democrats blocked it despite claiming to prioritize affordability. He criticized the Affordable Care Act as a structurally flawed system since 2010 and argued that continually extending subsidies does nothing to fix its underlying problems.
Looking ahead, Johnson said House Republicans will reintroduce their healthcare ideas with the goal of reducing premiums and addressing what they view as the core drivers of high costs. He accused Democrats of offering no meaningful reforms and simply seeking a permanent continuation of subsidies. Johnson said Republicans will present their proposals publicly, educate voters, and work toward bipartisan agreement. In a separate Fox News interview, he urged GOP lawmakers to return to Washington ahead of a likely vote to reopen the government, saying members should be prepared for action as early as Wednesday.