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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., broke rank with her party and said she is “disgusted” about the prospect of insurance premiums doubling if government subsidies for the Affordable Care Act are allowed to expire—partly echoing concerns raised by Democrats who have demanded any short-term funding deal to end the shutdown must include an extension of these subsidies.
In a lengthy X post Monday, Greene said while she is not a “fan” of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, she is “absolutely disgusted that health insurance premiums will DOUBLE if the tax credits expire this year.”
The Georgia congresswoman wrote: “I’m going to go against everyone on this issue because when the tax credits expire this year my own adult children’s insurance premiums for 2026 are going to DOUBLE, along with all the wonderful families and hard-working people in my district.”
She added: “I’m not towing the party line on this, or playing loyalty games…I’m carving my own lane.”
Greene’s post, however, appeared to reiterate her party’s misleading claims about undocumented immigrants benefiting from the program, saying she won’t “vote for illegals to have any tax payer funded healthcare or benefits.”
She then called out her party’s leadership, saying: “Not a single Republican in leadership talked to us about this or has given us a plan to help Americans deal with their health insurance premiums DOUBLING!!!”
While flagging concerns about the looming rise in costs, Green said she thinks “health insurance and all insurance is a scam, just be clear!”
In her post, Greene criticized the U.S. government’s funding of foreign wars: “Our country sent $30 billion to Israel in 2024 alone, killing countless innocent children and sent HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS to Ukraine in the past few years. By the way, I voted NO to all of that murder.” According to the “Costs Of War” project run by Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs, the U.S. has sent $21.7 billion in direct military aid to Israel since Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror attack, and has additionally spent between $9.65-12.07 billion on related military operations in the Middle East. Greene’s post continued: “All our country does is fund foreign countries and foreign wars, and never does anything to help the American people!!!” She then added, “It is absolutely shameful, disgusting, and traitorous, that our laws and policies screw the American people so much that the government is shut down right now fighting over basic issues like this.”
Greene’s latest comments come a month after she publicly defied her party’s leadership and even President Donald Trump on the so-called Epstein files. Greene has supported a bipartisan push to force a House vote on releasing documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Greene’s push has come despite Trump’s claim that the whole issue is a “hoax” perpetrated by the Democrats. Greene told the New York Times she did not appreciate the White House’s labeling of her support for the measure as a “very hostile act.” The congresswoman said she called a top White House official after this and said: “I told them, ‘You didn’t get me elected. I do not work for you; I work for my district.’”
Democrats in Congress have insisted any short-term deal to fund and reopen the government must include an extension of subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Earlier on Monday, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, Trump said he was open to making a deal with the Democrats, saying: “We have a negotiation going on right now with the Democrats that could lead to very good things. And I’m talking about good things with regard to health care.” However, the president appeared to backtrack in a Truth Social post later on Monday evening, saying: “I am happy to work with the Democrats on their Failed Healthcare Policies, or anything else, but first they must allow our Government to re-open. In fact, they should open our Government tonight!”
Pandemic-era enhanced tax credit subsidies for the Affordable Care Act are set to expire on December 31. However, if a deal for extending them fails to move forward soon, Americans could feel the impact of this much earlier. Open enrollment for the ACA marketplace in most states is set to begin on November 1, and premiums could spike if the insurers fear that no deal will be reached before the end of the year. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, premiums for signees could more than double on average if the credits are not renewed, with average premiums for subsidized enrollees rising from $888 this year to $1,904 in 2026.
Government Shutdown: Deadlocked Senate Again Fails To Pass Funding Bills As Shutdown Hits Week 2 (Forbes)