Fetterman breaks with party over tactics to keep Obamacare subsidies

Congressional Democrats won’t get any help from U.S. Sen. John Fetterman as they risk a government shutdown in a bid to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies.

The Braddock Democrat, who has a habit of breaking with his party at inopportune times, said Tuesday his philosophical opposition to shutdowns comes before his support for the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

“I enthusiastically support extending the ACA tax credits,” Fetterman posted to X. “I’ll never vote to shut our government down over that or any reason. It’s a core responsibility of Congress to maintain a functioning government and I refuse to hold it as hostage.”

Elaborating on his rationale in a statement to TribLive, Fetterman warned President Donald Trump and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought “could remake a shuttered government in drastic and unprecedented ways.”

Fetterman has been consistent in his dim view of budget battles.

When a possible shutdown loomed last March, he was one of nine senators in his party who voted to advance a Republican-authored stopgap funding bill.

He voted against the final bill, but his help bringing it to the Senate floor infuriated some Democrats who thought their party should have sought concessions from Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress.

That funding plan expires Sept. 30.

But this time, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries are gearing up for a showdown centered on the party’s health care priorities.

A Democratic alternative to the Republican funding plan released Wednesday would permanently extend enhanced health insurance premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act that are set to expire at the end of the year.

Congress established the more robust tax credits in 2021 as a covid-19 relief measure. They expanded the number of people who could get discounts on their monthly premiums and further slashed costs for those already eligible.

If the enhanced subsidies sunset, Pennsylvania’s Affordable Care Act marketplace, Pennie, estimates 450,000 of its 500,000 users would see pricier premiums.

About 150,000 of those people would drop coverage altogether.

On Monday, Fetterman told reporters extending the enhanced subsidies should be a “standalone” measure. It’s not clear if that’s realistic, even as a handful of Republicans have shown interest in an extension.

Pennie Executive Director Devon Trolley previously told TribLive she views the funding bill as “the last date to extend these in order to keep affordable coverage in place,” since open enrollment starts Nov. 1.

Democrats are also proposing to restore nearly $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid caused by Trump’s Fourth of July megabill.

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, called out Republicans and “some of my colleagues” for opening the door to people losing their insurance, but did not directly refer to Fetterman.

He’s taking some heat head on for his perceived weakness on these health care issues, though.

The Service Employees International Union plans to deliver a letter to Fetterman’s office Friday with signatures from hundreds of health care workers demanding he fight to reverse Medicaid cuts and preserve enhanced Obamacare subsidies.

“I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do without health insurance,” said Lynn Weidner, 42, a home care worker from Allentown who said she won’t be able to afford coverage without the larger tax credit.

Weidner, a registered Democrat, hopes to deliver Fetterman a message tomorrow: “There are consequences to your actions.”

Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pittsburgh, will also be getting a letter from the union, though Fetterman is its primary target. McCormick’s office did not return a request for comment.