A moderate House Democrat is splitting from his party leader on a compromise to extend enhanced ObamaCare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year.<\/p>\n
The subsidies have been a key demand for Democrats in exchange for their support for legislation to end the government shutdown.<\/p>\n
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., is among the House Democrats backing a bipartisan bill aimed at extending those tax credits for one year.<\/p>\n
But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called a one-year extension a ‘laughable proposition’ in comments to reporters on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
Suozzi, who also backs a permanent extension, said both sides need to begin negotiating at some point, even without a perfect solution.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
‘A one-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits is not acceptable. It’s a nonstarter,’ Jeffries said, referring to ObamaCare.<\/p>\n
‘What world are these MAGA extremists living in right now to think that Democrats are going to go along with a one-year extension from a group of people, meaning the Republicans, who just permanently extended massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors?’<\/p>\n
But it’s not just Republicans pushing that bill \u2014 the legislation has 11 total Democrat co-sponsors out of 25 total supporters.<\/p>\n
Suozzi told Fox News Digital in response to Jeffries’ rejection: ‘Republicans and Democrats both need to step up to the negotiating table.’<\/p>\n
‘This bill isn’t perfect \u2014 I’d prefer a permanent extension, and I’d gladly settle for a multi-year one \u2014 but right now, our priority must be stopping the massive health insurance premium hikes set to hit mailboxes in less than a month,’ Suozzi said.<\/p>\n
‘We can’t afford to remain in a stalemate, each side waiting for the other to blink.’<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, another co-sponsor of the bill, pointed Fox News Digital to comments the Democrat made on his Substack days before the shutdown.<\/p>\n
‘Our bipartisan bill would extend the credits by one year. Our coalition already includes 12 House Republicans \u2014 an essential bloc of support for passing a bill in the GOP-controlled House. And Senate Republicans are already interested in a deal, too,’ Golden wrote in those comments.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
‘As we negotiate, I see two sides who genuinely want to get to \u2018yes,\u2019 which gives me hope that we can avert price spikes and coverage losses in January. A government shutdown only jeopardizes that work.’<\/p>\n
Golden was the lone House Democrat to vote for the GOP-led bill to avert a government shutdown last month.<\/p>\n
The bill, called a continuing resolution (CR), would keep federal funding levels roughly flat through Nov. 21, while including added spending for national officials’ security amid the heightened political threat environment.<\/p>\n
But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in federal funding talks, have largely said they’ll reject any deal that does not include an extension of the expiring ObamaCare subsidies.<\/p>\n
Suozzi and several other Democrats supporting the one-year extension are also co-sponsors on legislation that would permanently extend the enhanced ObamaCare subsidies.<\/p>\n
The office of Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., pointed out to Fox News Digital that he was also a co-sponsor of that bill but refused to comment on the one-year bill or Jeffries’ dismissal of it.<\/p>\n
But that bill is likely a nonstarter for GOP leaders in Congress, who say that some reform is needed to the system if those healthcare credits are to be extended.<\/p>\n
Fox News Digital reached out to the remaining eight co-sponsors of the one-year extension bill but did not receive a response to Jeffries’ comments by press time.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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