U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) speaks with reporters outside the Senate chamber after a vote on the 20th day of the federal government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 20, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
Republican senators with vulnerable swing state seats are feeling a "growing anxiety" over their midterm prospects as the party risks a "political backlash" over impending healthcare votes, with one top official warning of a "recipe for disaster."
As a result of Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" spending package, subsidies for Affordable Care Act health insurance are set to expire at the end of the year, with premiums for many Americans on marketplace plans set to skyrocket. A vote is set in the Senate on Thursday for a three-year extension of these subsidies, though its odds of passing without Republican support are unlikely, and according to a Tuesday report from The Hill, the party has struggled to "coalesce behind a plan" for an alternative.
Despite longstanding GOP opposition to "Obamacare," the system remains largely popular with the American public, and some Republicans fear that letting its costs go up could deal them a huge blow politically. This is especially true for Republicans in swing states, with Politico finding increasing anxiety amongst these officials that not offering a solution to this issue could cost them reelection in the 2026 midterms.
Two such senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Bernie Moreno of Ohio, have thrown their support behind a plan to extend ACA subsidies for two years. This fix for the issue would phase out subsidies for households making $200,000 or more a year, and require a minimum $25 a month premium for low-income Americans.
Even Republicans from relatively safe states are expressing frustration, with Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri supporting the idea of a temporary subsidy extension to give Republicans more time to create a plan, according to The Hill.
“If they can’t figure out a plan, then maybe you got to do some kind of short-term extension until we figure out a plan. They should get together here and hammer something out,” Hawley said. "Sitting back and saying, ‘There’s nothing we can do, we’re just going to let it all expire, we don’t have a substitute, we don’t have an alternative,’ that I think is really a recipe for disaster for people trying to buy health care.”
Hawley did confirm whether or not he would vote for the Democrat-backed extension proposal, but predicted that it would not have the votes to pass.
“They’re stuck," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "They can’t get their caucus to agree on a bill."
“This is not a real effort on the part of the Democrats, this is a political messaging effort and the question is when that’s over with, do they really want a solution?” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.
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