Republicans couldn't replace Obamacare. So they made it more expensive.
Democrats hoping to win control of Congress in November's midterm elections have one powerful tool at the ready: President Donald Trump's scoffing lack of concern about "affordability."
His war in Iran drove up the cost of gasoline for drivers and made fertilizer more expensive for farmers. His trade war tariffs increased costs on anyone in America who buys imported goods. And the increasing costs for health care – which were forecasted with tenacious but unheeded warnings last year – have Americans paying more for less.
KFF, a nonpartisan health policy nonprofit, released a report on May 19 that showed Americans who use the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, to buy health insurance "experienced the steepest increase in history" in what they pay.
Why did health care costs skyrocket for some? Republicans.
The reason? Trump and the Republicans who control Congress now allowed Obamacare's enhanced subsidies, in place since 2021, to expire at the end of 2025, driving up costs.
Remember: Democrats in Congress caused a 43-day government shutdown in late 2025 in a failed attempt to save those subsidies.
KFF reported that the average Obamacare deductible grew by 37%, from $2,759 in 2025 to $3,786 this year. Customers adjusted by dropping health care plans with higher premiums but lower........
